In Burning Red
by quickssalgron13
Summary: Quinn left Puck just over a year ago, but a certain phone call changes everything. Will Quinn be able to salvage what's left of their relationship, or has she lost him for good? Based on a collection of Taylor Swift songs.
1. A Perfectly Good Heart

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: I know I've kinda been lagging a little when it comes to my stories but honestly I feel like I've hit a wall with them, so I figured a new story might help me out of that wall a touch. Any of you guys have any other tips? Throw 'em at me. Also I know there's already a Quick story inspired by Taylor's music, but this is in no way copied or associated with that story at all. **_

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><p><em>Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?<em>

_Why would you wanna take our love and tear it all apart now?_

_Why would you wanna make the very first scar?_

_Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?_

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><p><strong><em>Flashback:<em>**

_Quinn sighed as she paced back and forth in the small living room of the apartment she shared with Puck. They had moved in together not long after he got back from his deployment to Iraq, and had been together for almost two years after the glee club's reunion. She had been so happy that day, the day he told her she was his soul mate, that he loved her. It had been a day she had been dreaming of since before she got pregnant with Beth, and it was well worth the wait. _

_It was like a dream. _

_A wonderful, amazing, perfect dream._

_But just like any dream, she had to wake up eventually and now here she was, pacing back and forth waiting for Puck to get home. The old Quinn would've packed up and left without an explanation or a goodbye, but that wasn't her anymore, and thankfully hadn't been for a long time. Puck deserved a goodbye, deserved to be told rather than coming home to a half empty apartment._

_Quinn blew out a nervous breath and turned her eyes to the fireplace, her gaze landing on one picture in particular. It had been taken in Times Square on New Year's Eve, just as the ball dropped, she and Puck locked in a passionate kiss, their arms wound tight around each other. The whole glee club had been with them that night, and if she remembered correctly, it was Artie who had taken the picture. It was her favourite picture of herself and Puck, besides the one taken with Beth when she had just been born, but that picture only served to bring about bad memories and sometimes nightmares. _

_There was a scratching sound at the door, before it swung open, Puck grinning as he carried in a bag of Chinese food, kicking the door shut behind him and shrugging off his leather jacket. His cheeks were red from the bitterness of the winter air outside, and Quinn almost smiled at the thought of warming him up, until she remembered what she was about to do. _

_"Hey Q, I got your favourite," Puck called, setting the takeout bag down on the table and getting two plates out of the cupboard, humming the tune of the same damn Christmas song he had been hearing all day at work. Why was it everyone insisted on recording the same damn song on their albums that were then blasted at a high volume throughout the base? "Babe, are you home?" he asked, frowning a little when he turned to see Quinn hovering in the doorway, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "What's wrong, Q?" he frowned, stepping towards her and reaching for her cheek, frowning further when she turned her head out of his reach. _

_"We need to talk," Quinn whispered, lowering her eyes to the floor and hugging herself tight around the waist, chewing on her lip anxiously for a long moment before chancing a glance at his face. He knew. She could see in his eyes that he knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. _

_"You're leaving," Puck stated, his voice void of emotion, his eyes clouding over before they turned hard, spotting the three pink suitcases sat by the door that led to their bedroom and blowing out a breath as she nodded her head. "Do I get an explanation or are you just staying long enough to tell me the bills need paying?" he snapped harshly, the blonde lifting her tear filled eyes to his and letting out a quivering breath._

_"This isn't working anymore, Puck. This isn't what I want anymore, a tiny shoe box apartment and take out food every other night because we're both too exhausted to cook. You're always gone, and I'm always left here alone and I can't keep living like this anymore. I need to follow my dreams, I need to find something that makes me happy," she breathed, gesturing to the take out bag on the kitchen table they had bought from Ikea when they first moved in. _

_"I don't understand. You said you wanted this, you wanted us to be together here in New Haven so we could have a fresh start and you could become a lawyer. You told me you were happy here, happy with me. I mean, I know we haven't had much time together what with my promotion and you hanging out with that James guy..." he trailed off, clenching his jaw at the look in her eyes, the look that confirmed the thought that had just settled in his mind. "Tell me I'm wrong, Quinn. Tell me that I'm wrong in thinking you've been cheating on me with him," he murmured, half demanding and half pleading, his stomach rolling as she looked away from him and bit back a sob. "How long?" he demanded, his words clipped and cold. _

_"Puck, please. I can-"_

_"How long?!" he shouted, Quinn wincing at the harshness of his words, detecting the hurt that shone behind the anger in his eyes. _

_"A month ago," she whispered, closing her eyes tight against the swift intake of breath she heard from him, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I didn't mean for it to happen, Puck. I was drunk and lonely, and he was there and the next thing I knew, I woke up naked next to him. It was a mistake, an accident. But then it happened again, when you cancelled our date, and I knew I wasn't happy anymore," she confessed, hugging herself tight at the pain etched in his face. "I never wanted to hurt you, Noah."_

_"You didn't want to hurt me?! You cheated on me but you didn't mean to hurt me?!" he yelled, throwing his hands up in the air in disbelief. "You know, the guys in the glee club warned me to be careful when we got back together, and I should've listened to them. Once a cheater always a cheater, right?" he scoffed, shaking his head and pushing away from the counter, ignoring her as she reached out for him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're leaving me for him, aren't you? For your dirty little secret?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. It was clear to see in her eyes. _

_At least her eyes always told the truth._

_"Noah, please," she begged, tears dripping from her chin. "I still want us to be friends."_

_"You want us to be friends?" he laughed, whirling around to face her, shaking his head at her. No. He couldn't be her friend. "You cheat on me and tell me you're leaving me for another man, yet you still want us to be friends? Are you crazy? I don't want to be your friend. I don't want to be your anything," he snapped, pushing her hand from his arm and heading to the bedroom, Quinn following tearfully behind him. _

_"What are you doing?!" she cried, covering her mouth in horror as he pulled down the canvas painting of them from her Yale Christmas Ball and snapped it over his knee, tossing the broken pieces into the corner, "Stop it!" she screamed, her heart breaking as he swiped their photographs from his bedside table, happy smiles and loving embraces lying crumpled on the floor. _

_"You want to leave? You want to be free of us? There, I'm helping. I don't want anything left of __**us **__in this apartment and I don't want to see you again once that door closes behind you. I don't want to see you, or hear you, or speak to you. You want us to be over, you got it, babe. We're over," he told her, shrugging his shoulders and trying to bite back his own tears at the thought of losing her forever. _

_He never thought she would break him like this. _

_"I didn't want it to end this way," she sobbed, not quite sure if it was meant for him or herself, but either way she meant it. She hadn't thought things would end for them this way. It hurt to break his heart, and she wished she could hold him and beg him to forgive her and take her back, but the time for that was long gone. They just didn't work anymore. No matter how much they tried. _

_"Of course you didn't," he snorted, sitting down on his side of the bed and staring blankly at the wall for a long moment, feeling her eyes on him, burning right through to his soul. Or at least it felt that way. "Did you think I would wish you luck with him? Did you think I would offer to plan the wedding and fly some bright red heart balloons for you?" he asked sarcastically, barking out a laugh and shaking his head and reaching beneath his pillow, pulling something out and tossing it to her, Quinn barely managing to catch it, her eyes begging with him to understand, to forgive her. "That's why I cancelled our date that night a month ago," he told her as she opened the little black box and let out a sob. "Close the door behind you," he added, before he headed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him, turning the shower on and leaning against the sink to take several deep breaths._

_Quinn flinched as the door slammed shut in her face, looking down at the beautiful diamond ring that was sat in the black velvet box, shining in the light of their bedroom. Or his bedroom, now. The ring was beautiful, and simple, and completely perfectly made for her. Tears fell faster down her cheeks as she closed the box and held it tight in her hand, closing her eyes for a long moment before slipping it into her pocket, pressing her fingertips to the closed door and sucking in a breath before turning and heading out into the hall. She took her suitcases in hand and wheeled them towards the front door, letting out a breath as she stepped out of the apartment, gently placing her key on the little oak table by the door. This was it. _

_The front door closed behind her almost too quickly, locking her out in the cold, and out of Puck's life._

_Slam._

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><p>Quinn screamed and shot up in her bed, her hands flying to her chest as she panted and gasped for air, closing her eyes and running her fingers through her knotted hair before glancing over at the clock on the wall. She had been suffering from nightmares lately, and they were always the same. A forest she was trying to run from, but the beautiful brown eyes where everywhere she went, staring at her and watching her every move.<p>

Santana told her she was probably just over tired and stressed about work, but she knew deep down it was far from that. Yes, she was tired, but not because of work or stress related matters. Brittany told her she was probably still guilty about leaving Puck, and with it being his birthday when the nightmares had started, she figured Brittany was probably right.

It was barely six in the morning, but she had no chance of going back to sleep, so she slid out of bed and headed down the stairs blindly, rubbing her eyes and trudging into the kitchen. Thank God for coffee, she thought as she poured herself a cup from the coffee machine, adding a sugar and bringing the mug to her lips, the rich liquid burning her tongue. But that was ok; she was used to feeling things that burnt by now. The sun was just beginning to rise, and so she leant against the counter and stared out of the window with a sigh, sipping on the dark coffee.

After she had left Puck, she moved in with James, as he had guessed she would. It was good for a few months or so, but eventually she began to realise her heart just wasn't in it at all. She found herself spending her nights alone with the few pictures she had left of herself and Puck, and getting the busy tone every time she called James to ask when he was coming home. Maybe that was her karma for what she did to Puck, maybe it was cosmic justice that she caught him in bed with her best friend when she came home from work. After that, she had packed up and moved to New York, to be closer to her friends and try to find herself again. A lot of the glee club were angry with her for what she had done, even if they didn't say it to her face, she could see it in their eyes whenever they looked at her. Santana had taken her in for a while, until she got back on her feet, and she now had her own house, on the outskirts of the city. Santana and Brittany visited her often enough, and sometimes Mercedes and Kitty would drop by with Artie, but that was about it. They would go places with her, go out to dinner and theatres with her, stay over and spend time with her. They were still her friends, and they would talk her through everything, everything _but _what Puck was doing with his life.

If she ever asked about him, the subject would be changed quickly, and she knew he had asked them not to speak about him with her. It hurt, but she knew he had every right to hate her for what she had done. Santana had slapped her when she first found out, but she had held her afterwards as she cried, and talked her through it all. What she had done to Puck was a mistake, an awful mistake she wished she could fix, but she couldn't. She had selfishly broken his heart to be with another man, a man that had cheated on her like she had Puck.

She wondered if Puck would find that funny.

The shrill ringing of the phone broke her out of her thoughts, the blonde setting down her half empty mug and reaching for her cell phone, answering and expecting it to be her mother complaining yet again that she hadn't gone back to Lima for Thanksgiving.

"Hello?" Quinn asked, opening the fridge and looking through it for something to eat for breakfast, dropping a strawberry into her mouth and pulling out a pot of yoghurt.

"Miss Fabray? This is Jonathan Jackson, your lawyer. There's something we need to discuss," the man on the phone told her, a rustling of papers in the background.

It was with the next few words that left his lips that Quinn dropped to her knees on the kitchen floor.

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><p>Quinn jumped in her seat as the door of the taxi cab slammed shut, her driver climbing in and starting the engine, a cheese bagel in one hand and the steering wheel in another. She tore her eyes away from the rain that was bouncing off the roofs of the cars that lined the New York street and let out a long, calming breath to pull herself back together again. It had been just over a year since she had left Puck, and lately, the memory served as a nightmare that plagued her thoughts every time she closed her eyes. The look of hatred in Puck's beautiful brown eyes as she told him what she had done had haunted her more than usual this last week or so, ever since his birthday last week and the phone call this morning that changed everything.<p>

Shelby had died in a car accident.

And custody of Beth was being returned to her.

_And _to Puck.

She was currently in a taxi that would take her to see the lawyers that specialised in Beth's adoption, to finalise the details of them regaining custody of their child. That meant she had to see Puck again, had to communicate with him and work with him in order to be the parents Beth deserved. It would be difficult, what with them not having talked at all in the past year, but she was more than willing to try for Beth's sake.

Puck had never once tried to get in touch with her, even though she had never changed her number, in blind hope that at some point he would be willing to hear her out.

She only hoped that Puck had had enough time to let go of some of his resentment, in order for them to do this properly. The one thing they both wanted was for Beth to be happy and healthy and feel comfortable around them, and so she hoped they were both mature enough to let go of their past and form some sort of co-parenting relationship that Beth would be happy in.

In all honesty, she was looking forward to seeing him again, seeing how he had changed and what he had made of his life. She had called and texted him more times than she could ever count in an attempt to try to apologise and salvage what was left of their friendship, but he had never once responded to her. He hadn't changed his number, that she knew from looking through Santana's phone when she was out at the store with Brittany, so at least she knew where they stood in regards to forgiveness. Puck was nowhere close to forgiving her, but hopefully Beth would help with that.

Beth. Her beautiful, sweet, wonderfully perfect thing. She was almost seven years old, and she hadn't seen her since she was barely a year old. Her lawyer had given her a few pictures of Beth last week, and she had broken down in tears for hours at how much her daughter had grown and changed, and how much she looked like her. Blonde hair, slim frame, bright hazel eyes, but Puck's heart warming smile. His real smile- the one he reserved only for her and their daughter. Maybe another woman held that place in his heart now.

The thought made her want to vomit, turning her eyes back to the window and sighing as the cab weaved in and out of traffic, the driver yelling in Spanish and chewing on his bagel, spluttering crumbs into his overgrown beard. That was the one thing she hated about New York, the constant need for speed when taking a taxi somewhere. She would've driven to the meeting, but she wasn't quite sure she would be stable enough to drive herself home afterwards, the nerves of seeing Puck and signing the papers to get Beth back in her arms, causing her hands to shake in her lap.

"Doing anything special?" the taxi driver asked, glancing over at her as they waited impatiently for the traffic to move along, the man honking the car's horn more than was necessary.

"I'm getting my daughter back," Quinn told him, glancing down at her phone and checking the time, blowing out a breath. Ten minutes until she had to face her past again, literally. Part of her hoped Puck would still hate her, so it would be easier for them to not to have to talk at all, but she knew deep down that she didn't want that. Even if he never truly forgave her for cheating and leaving, she prayed they would be able to be civil with one another. "I gave her up for adoption," she added, seeing the man's confused look as he finished off his cheese bun.

"That's great. Is the Dad still around?" he hummed, turning the radio on and singing a few Spanish words here and there as they traffic finally began to move again, rain drops splashing onto the windscreen.

"Yes," she answered, because Puck was still around, for Beth, anyway. "But for her, not for me."

"Oh, well, I'm sure things will fix themselves," he offered with a shrug, turning the corner and pulling up outside the huge office building that the meeting was being held in, cutting the engine. "He must have loved you if you have a child together," he smiled, rubbing at his nose. Damn this New York weather.

"He did. I'm the one that ruined everything," she muttered, rifling through her bag for her purse and pulling out a twenty dollar note, pressing it into his hand. "Thanks for the ride," she sighed, pushing the car door open and stepping out into the cold, the harsh winds whipping her hair into her face. So much for looking presentable, after all. She wanted to make a good impression on the lawyers, so they wouldn't change their minds on giving Beth back to the teen mother who had given her away and selfishly regretted it as soon as she was gone. They must be out of their minds to trust her, but she wouldn't let Beth down again. This was her chance to finally get her little girl back and nothing would take that away from her. Not even Puck's hatred of her. She was here for Beth, not for him, not for the relationship they once had.

Beth. Beth. Beth.

With that in mind, she headed into the office building with her head held high in the air, like the Fabray her mother had raised her to be, her heels clicking against the expensive wooden flooring as she made her way to the elevator. Her palms were sweating, and she could feel her knees threatening to shake and tremble, but she pushed it aside, pressing the button for the thirteenth floor, standing beside a tall man in a navy business suit.

All too soon the metal doors were opening on the thirteenth floor, and she was heading down the hall to the reception, being careful not to step on any cracks in the floor and counting every step she took to distract herself from what was about to happen. The office floor was pretty nice, with plush red sofas in each corner, and the receptionist sat behind an expensive oak desk, tapping away at the keyboard. There were framed pictures of babies and small children on the walls, and she knew by the look of the middle aged couples sat around the room that most people were here today to adopt a child. Had Shelby once been here, to look at adopting Beth? The thought twisted her stomach, that the people in this room could potentially be adopting other teenage girls' babies. Or maybe that was just because she regretted giving her own baby away so much, that she felt the sick feeling in her stomach.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked with a warm smile as Quinn approached the desk, looking up from the computer screen to study the young blonde woman before her.

"I have an appointment for half twelve. Quinn Fabray," Quinn told her, wiggling her toes a little in her heeled shoes, wringing her hands out of sight of the receptionist. She didn't want anyone to see how nervous she was. Fabrays were never nervous. But then again, maybe she had never really been a Fabray, anyway.

"Straight down the hall, fourth door on your left. The lawyers are already in there, as well as a Mr Puckerman," the receptionist grinned, pointing her finger towards the hallway across the room and handing Quinn a clipboard. "Good luck," she added, sitting back in her seat and returning her attention to the spread sheets she was working on.

"Thank you," Quinn muttered, taking a deep breath before heading across the room, receiving warm smiles and encouraging nods from the people sat on the sofa she passed by, offering them a smile in return. It was unnerving how friendly the people were. Did they know her? Did they know what she was doing here? Did they think she was giving up a child for them to adopt? She had no idea, shaking it off and counting the doors down the hallway, the fourth coming far too quickly for her liking.

Puck was in there, the receptionist had just told her that, and so were the papers that would bring her baby girl back into her arms.

The door was dark and made of some sort of expensive wood, and the golden door handle felt as if it was burning through her hand as she wrapped her fingers around it and pushed down, the door opening and revealing a large table in the middle of a finely furnished room, four pairs of eyes turning to meet her own.

Including the pair of devastatingly beautiful chocolate brown eyes that had been haunting her nightmares all week.

"Hello again, Noah."

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><p><em>Why would you want to break,<em>

_a perfectly good heart?_

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><p><strong><em>Lyrics used: Taylor Swift- A Perfectly Good Heart.<em>**

**_Please review, you know, if you want to, and have a great day :)_**

**_Next chapter will be longer. _**


	2. The Story Of Us

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: Thank you for the reviews last chapter, they made me smile so much. You're all such wonderful people. I wonder if any of you are fans of swiftgron too? I'm still screaming over the pictures and what Taylor said about her. Well worth the wait. Salgron can come back next thank you bye.**_

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><p><em>Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room,<em>

_and we're not speaking._

_And I'm dying to know is it killing you, _

_like its killing me, yeah._

_I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate_

_when it all broke down. _

_And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now._

_This is looking like a contest, _

_of who can act like they care less._

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><p>Quinn swallowed hard as Puck simply stared at her, before he looked away, focussing his attention on the papers before him. She deserved that, but it didn't hurt any less. The blonde sighed and closed the door behind her, making her way to the table and sitting down across from Puck. She wanted to be close enough to see him, but not close enough to risk them accidentally touching. Clearly he had no intentions of forgiving her, and if that was how he was going to play this, then fine, She wasn't going to beg for his forgiveness anymore.<p>

"Now that Miss Fabray is here, we can begin. Miss Corcoran and your daughter were involved in a car accident two days ago. Beth is completely fine," one lawyer smiled, nodding to Quinn whose eyes had filled with tears at the thought of her daughter enduring the pain she had in her car accident in senior year. Puck seemed to be shook up by that, too, his jaw clenching a little. "Miss Corcoran however was not as fortunate, and due to certain clauses in the adoption papers, custody of Beth Corcoran is to be returned to birth parents Quinn Fabray and Noah Puckerman."

"Where is she? Beth, I mean," Puck asked, Quinn closing her eyes for a moment at hearing his voice for the first time in a year, licking her lips nervously when he glanced over in her direction.

"Beth is currently at the New York Memorial Hospital, but once these papers are signed and processed, you can take her home as early as tonight. It all depends on how fast we can get through this, and get the papers processed," a different lawyer explained with a warm smile, gesturing to the papers Quinn and Puck had before them. "There is one thing to be discussed, though. Custody arrangements. I take it the two of you are no longer together?" she asked, eyeing the distance between the pair, picking up on the slight discomfort they displayed at being so close to one another.

"No, we're not," Puck answered, before Quinn even had chance to open her mouth.

"We're not, but that won't affect us getting Beth back, right? I mean, there's shared custody and other means of doing this. I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement," Quinn told the lawyers, tossing a glare over at Puck who snorted and looked down at the papers, scanning them for a long moment before he shook his head and pushed them away.

"No, no way. If we're having Beth back, her last name is Puckerman, not Fabray," Puck told the lawyers firmly, his arms crossed tight across his chest. Beth was his daughter too, and there was no way on earth she was sharing a last name with the man that had kicked her pregnant mother out on the streets when she was sixteen and scared. Quinn was staring at him, but he didn't care. It was hard enough to sit in the same room as her, and picturing her in their bed with another man every time he looked at her.

He had heard every one of her voicemail messages begging him to listen to her, to call her back, for them to meet up and try to be friends again, but he just couldn't. She had broken his heart, and he wasn't about to forgive her that easily, just because she had caught her lover in bed with a friend. Yeah, Santana had told him about that, and even though it hurt to think of Quinn being upset, he just couldn't reach out to her.

And now, seeing her again in the flesh, looking as beautiful as ever, it was just too much for him.

"Quinn, do you have any objection to that?" the first lawyer asked, looking over at the blonde who was drumming her fingers loudly on the table, a scowl fixated on her face. "It has to be a mutual decision. Any agreements met to day have to be mutually consented to," she added, looking both parents in the eye as she spoke, straightening out her blazer.

"Puckerman is fine," Quinn sighed, pursing her lips a little as she sat up straighter in her seat, pulling her papers towards her. "But that doesn't mean Puck is granted full custody of her. Beth is my daughter, and she needs her Mom. Beth stays with me during the week, and Puck can take her on weekends," she proposed, arching her brow at her ex, challenging him to argue with her.

She wanted things to be ok between them again, but she would fight anyone and everyone to the bone for Beth.

Including him.

"Really, Quinn? Talking as if I'm not in the room? Are you sure you're mature enough to have a child full time?" Puck sniped, looking the blonde dead in the eye for the first time since she had left him, noting the change between this Quinn and the Quinn he used to love. This Quinn was paler than she had been, and her eyes were colder, harsher. Part of him wondered if she was putting up her walls because of him, or if this was the woman she was now. He didn't like the cocky, confident persona she was trying to force on them all, but then again, she wasn't his to worry about anymore.

"Oh, _I'm _the immature parent here? You're the one that hasn't even looked at me for longer than a few seconds since we started. I get it, ok? You're still angry with me for what I did, but this is about Beth. I'm her mother, and she stays with me during the week," Quinn snapped back, planting her hands firmly on the table and looking him right in the eye. She could see the hate there, the anger, and it only made her more determined.

"Yeah? Well I'm her father," he argued back cocking his head slightly at her, an amused smirk tugging at his lips as he watched her eyes flash angrily at him, enjoying winding her up to the point where it looked like she wanted to break the table.

"You know, I came here today thinking that over the year we'd been apart, you'd have matured enough to keep our love life separate from matters that concerned our daughter. I thought maybe we would be able to be friends and forge some sort of relationship, or at the very least, we'd be able to civilly come to a fair agreement, but you're acting like a five year old," she told him, narrowing her eyes at him, the lawyers exchanging looks.

"If you wanted us to be friends and have a relationship, you shouldn't have climbed into bed with another man," he shrugged, his words laced with venom, Quinn's cheeks flushing red before she nodded once and looked away from him, pursing her lips for a long moment and trying not to flip out in front of him or the lawyers.

Clearly he just wanted a reaction from her, to make her see that he had no feelings left for her at all.

Well, at least he had gotten that across.

"Alright, guys. How about we press pause, and take a little break," one of the lawyers suggested, shifting uncomfortably as two angry pairs of eyes were directed his way. "There's a coffee store just down the road, why don't the two of you take a walk there together and try to get rid of some of this...tension," he offered, searching for the right word to describe the angry feelings stewing between the former lovers. "It'll be better for Beth if the two of you are able to be civil with each other."

Quinn sighed in defeat and slumped back in her seat, glancing over at Puck who was staring pointedly at the wall, his jaw set as he thought about the suggestion. It was laughable, how the two of them were acting like two children who had fallen out over the last coloured pencil in the tub. She knew he had every right to hate her, but she didn't think it would come to them tossing insults back and forth like a tennis match.

The Puck she used to know wouldn't have acted this way. He would've ignored her, or said a few words here and there. She had never seen him act this way towards someone.

Then again, maybe she didn't really know him at all anymore.

The lawyers collected their things quietly, muttering between them as they headed for the large wooden door, both Quinn and Puck wishing they could go, too. Once the last lawyer had left the room, they were alone together, for the first time since their break up. This wasn't how she had thought it would be, the two of them acting as though they had never even been friends, let alone lovers.

"This is your fault. You shouldn't have played the immature five year old card, and we would be done by now," Puck muttered, his arms crossed, sucking on his teeth as he rocked his seat back and forth, knowing it grated on her nerves.

"At least I tried to be civil with you. _You're _the one finding amusement in trying to do things to gain a reaction from me," Quinn snapped back, narrowing her eyes at him as lent forwards a touch, trying to show that he couldn't push her around, that she was strong.

"I've ignored you for just over a year, Quinn. If I wanted to bother getting a reaction from you, don't you think I would've answered your calls or texted you back?" he asked, shaking his head a little and leaning in close, just as she had done, to show she couldn't push him around. She wasn't his weakness anymore. "I'm here for Beth, and Beth only. Not to try to fix things with you, or to be your friend."

Quinn nodded and sucked on her teeth, pursing her lips for a long moment before getting up abruptly and pulling her jacket back on, shaking her hair out of the collar. "You know, I actually thought that we could put what happened between us in the past, and move forward and raise Beth together properly. I thought maybe we could work up to being friends again, but I guess that just won't happen, will it?" she sighed, grabbing her purse from the table and looking to her ex who was watching her with carefully guarded eyes.

"No," he agreed, "it won't."

But he got up from his seat anyway and pulled his jacket on, too, the two of them making their way to the exit to go and get the coffee the lawyers had suggested, to show they were at least making what looked like an effort to get along with each other. They walked through the door together, Quinn first then Puck following, the two of them silently making their way towards the elevator that would take them back out into the cold winter air.

They walked down the sidewalk side by side, together, but not touching at all, leaving Quinn wondering how they were on complete different pages of the same book.

* * *

><p>The coffee shop was small, and Quinn was thankful for the warmth that she was met with as she stepped into the store, Puck following after her. She knew this coffee shop, as Santana liked to hang out here for the sugar cookies they put out on Fridays.<p>

"Well, well, well, this is the most awkward coupling I've seen since the time Quinn pretended to be in love with trouty mouth," a voice smirked from behind them, Quinn turning to see Santana sat at a table close by them, coffee mug in her hands and a smug smirk playing on her lips. "So what have I missed? The two of you making another lizard baby or what? I need something juicy to hold over Berry at Christmas," the Latina grinned, patting the empty seat beside her and smirking in amusement at the matching glares the ex lovers sent her way.

"We're not together," Puck told her firmly, taking a seat across the table from Santana who pouted a little. "I'm here for Beth and only Beth," he muttered, glancing out of the window and leaning back in his seat.

Quinn rolled her eyes at his need to constantly put that out there, crossing her legs and picking up a menu, studying it carefully to avoid meeting Santana's questioning look. Santana had been there with her through the nights she had drunkenly ranted about how if she had the chance, she would put things right with Puck, and she knew the Latina would want to know why she and Puck were acting like complete strangers.

"What about Beth?" Santana asked, sipping her drink carefully as she glanced between her two friends who were forcefully avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Shelby was in a car accident, she didn't make it. I had clauses written into the adoption papers that meant if Shelby ever passed or was proven to be an unfit mother, all rights would be given back to us. Shelby died, San, so they're giving Beth back to us. The lawyers are processing the papers right now," Quinn told her, a touch of pride in her words, her friend smiling and squeezing her hand beneath the table. She had wanted her daughter back in her arms from the moment she gave her up, and now that she finally had her baby back, she couldn't quite keep the smile from tugging at her lips.

"Don't sound too upset about Shelby passing away, will you?" Puck smiled, sarcasm dripping from every word as he snapped Santana's cookie in half, the Latina scowling at him as he chewed absently on it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you had a thing for a woman more than twice your age," Quinn grinned back at him, setting the menu down on the table top and smoothing her skirt down, Santana's eyes gleaming at the potential throw down between the two.

Puck laughed at that, licking his lips a little and leaning in closer to her, the blonde's eyebrow arching perfectly. "You always were jealous of her. What was it, Q? Were you worried that she was a better kisser than you?" he smirked smugly, Quinn's eyes narrowing as she leant in close also, her eyes dark and cold.

"I was never jealous of that woman," Quinn hissed, her voice low. "Ever."

"You were jealous that she had Beth."

Quinn clenched her jaw at that, staring him down for a long moment before blowing out a breath and scooting her chair back, getting up and grabbing hold of her purse. "I'm going to the bathroom," she muttered, before she moved away from their table. How dare he throw Beth and Shelby in her face like that after the nights she had spent crying in his arms over the fact that her daughter called another woman Mommy. He knew for a fact that she had been not only jealous, but heartbroken that Shelby had Beth, and it broke her heart further that he would use that against her, tears burning her eyes as she strode determinedly to the bathroom.

She wouldn't let him see that he was hurting her.

"Have fun," he called after her, waving at her as she tossed a glare back at him over his shoulder, smirking and sitting back in his seat as Quinn walked away, several pairs of eyes watching her.

"That was harsh," Santana noted after a moment, pursing her lips a touch as she studied his face carefully, trying to read the way he felt from the way he frowned, and the way his jaw clenched.

"She deserved it," he shrugged, tearing the crisp white napkin into shreds, much like Quinn had done to him when she cheated and left him. If she thought he would forgive her and take her into his arms and tell her that he still loved her, she was wrong. He didn't forgive her, and he didn't want to hold her, and he didn't love her. Not like that, not anymore.

"Look, what she did was awful and I understand that you're hurt and you're pissed and hell, you have every right to be! But you can't attack her like that, not with Beth, its not fair. You've been hurting, but so has she, ok? You don't know what its been like for her. She's struggled, too," Santana sighed, taking a long sip of her coffee, the rich liquid warming her mouth.

"I'm sure she has, I mean its not like she cheated and chose to leave or anything, right? Its not like she willingly got into bed with another man, or left without even bothering to fix things, right?" he snorted, shaking his head at her. "I'm sorry her picture perfect life with her Yale douche didn't work out the way she thought it would," he added bitterly, pushing the napkin shreds away from him.

Quinn had no right to play the victim.

"God, Puck. I've never seen you hate someone so much before," Santana sighed, rubbing her hands together to warm them up. It was strange to see Puck hate Quinn, after all the years he had spent loving her and wanting her. This whole thing was strange, and she had no idea why the two were acting like strangers when they all knew they were far from it. She understood that he was hurt and angry over what Quinn had done, but he seemed to hate her with a passion now that he had seen her again.

"I don't hate her," he denied, looking around the coffee shop absently, smiling at a little girl who grinned at him. Soon he would have his little girl back, and he would get to see her beautiful smile. "I wish I did," he added with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck and glancing over at the bathroom. He felt bad for throwing Beth in her face like that, but he wasn't going to apologise for it.

Quinn could stay away from him.

"But you don't. You don't hate her, as much as you wish you did, so maybe lay off a little. For Beth's sake, if not for yours. It'll be so much easier for her if her parents manage to get along and don't demand seats on seperate sides of the school hall during her talent show or something like that. You've grown up like that, Quinn has grown up like that. Its not fun, having to hear your parents screaming at each other in the middle of the night. Don't make Beth suffer like that," she murmured, squeezing his hand in hers. "Or Auntie Tana will smack your heads together," she added with a smirk, sounding much more like her usual self.

"Beth won't suffer," he told her seriously, looking her in the eye. "Not ever."

"I know. You and Quinn would rather die before she suffered from anything," Santana smiled, sighing and looking up as Quinn came out of the bathroom. "That's something you both still have in common. Maybe the two of you should focus on that rather than on the fact that you're not together anymore."

"Maybe," he agreed, glancing at Quinn as she took her seat beside Santana, her eyes suspiciously puffy and newly made up, as if she had been crying in the bathroom and had tried her best to cover it up. He hated it when she cried, but it wasn't up to him to comfort her anymore. He wouldn't know how, anyway, even if he wanted to. They were different people than they had been a year ago.

"Alright, well I'm going to meet Brittany at the dance studio for lunch," Santana announced, gathering her things and stuffing them into her bag carelessly, leaving the money for her coffee in the middle of the table and getting up, her chair scraping against the wooden floor and causing the two former lovers to look up at her. "Its not a contest, you know, of who can act like they care less. You're both adults, with a little girl who needs you. _That's _what is important, not throwing petty insults back and forth," she told them both, flicking Puck in the forehead and pinching Quinn's arm before heading for the door.

"Remember, my Mexican third eye sees e_verything_," Santana called over her shoulder with a wink before she was gone.

And they were left alone.

Together.

* * *

><p>As soon as Santana had left the coffee shop, the former couple were plunged into an awkward silence, buying cup after cup of coffee to fill the time that they had left together, avoiding eye contact at all times. It was pretty sad that after almost six years of being lovers, one year apart had been enough to completely change the way they saw each other. Quinn didn't see the man she had loved anymore, the man that was kind and caring, with a mischievous side that could always make her laugh. The man that would never have thrown Beth and Shelby's relationship into her face like that.<p>

But then again, she doubted he saw her as the same woman he had loved, either. She wasn't as naïve about the world as she had been a year ago, and she didn't believe in love and soul mates anymore. The harsh reality of the world had finally caught up with her, and she had built more walls than she could count to protect herself after the things that happened during the year she was apart from Puck. The year that was her fault, for succumbing to two drunken nights that caused her to lose Puck forever.

She wondered if the silence was killing him, the way it was killing her.

One of the things she had missed the most about him was his voice- the deep, sexy way he spoke that could calm her down in any given situation.

Puck sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, draining the last bit of coffee from his cup and setting it down, glancing back down at his phone. They still had another fifteen minutes together before they could go back to the office and sort out arrangements for Beth. Fifteen minutes that he was more than happy to spend not talking to her at all. He had missed her whilst they had been apart, even though he masked that with the anger and hatred he felt towards her for what she had done, he had missed the woman he loved. But this Quinn was different, colder, meaner. Maybe it was a good thing; he wouldn't get sucked back into loving her again.

The hand of the clock on the wall above Quinn's head ticked by far too slowly for his liking, the slow ticking sound driving him insane.

The silence was almost deafening, but he couldn't be the one to break it. Maybe he just didn't want to break the silence. He didn't have anything he wanted to say to her anyway, and he definitely didn't want to hear anything she had to say, either. He could do without the details of the life she had led after leaving him.

"Look," Quinn started, breaking the uncomfortable silence and leaning forwards, reaching for his hand but pausing, quickly pulling her own back and thrusting it into her lap so she wouldn't be tempted to try that again, his dark eyes narrowed, but focussed on her. "I know I'm the last person you want to be sat in a room with, and I know you hate me for what I did to you, but can we please at least try to be civil with each other?" she asked, licking her lips nervously. "I didn't come here to fight with you, and I hope you don't want to fight with me either."

Puck watched her carefully as she reached out for his hand, narrowing his eyes a touch. She used to do that all the time when they were together and she had something important to say to him, telling him that it made her feel safer if she had hold of his hand when they were talking. "You're right, you are the last person I want to be here with, and I wish I could do this without having you around," he told her, keeping his hands far away from hers, the blonde wincing and nodding a little, looking away from him. "But I can't do this without you here apparently, and I don't particularly want to fight with you either," he added with a sigh, Quinn looking up hopefully at him, her bottom lip disappearing between her teeth.

"So where does this leave us?" she asked, straightening up a little in her seat, forcing her walls to stay strong where they were. She was glad that he didn't want to fight with her, but it hurt that he had agreed that he wished she wasn't there at all. And she didn't want him to be able to hurt her, pursing her lips a little as he studied her face carefully.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, handing his empty coffee cup to the waitress who passed by their table, offering her a smile as she collected it from him, Quinn shooting daggers at the young woman. "I don't hate you, but I don't love you, either. I haven't loved you for a long time. I stopped loving you the day you left, when that door closed behind you and you didn't come back," he told her, clenching his jaw a little at the memory. He had honestly thought she would get to the end of the hall, then turn around and come right back to him begging for them to fix it. It had taken him two hours of sitting in the hallway waiting for her to come home, to realise she was really gone.

Quinn nodded as she let his words sink in, sighing and staring at the cream wall for a long moment. Puck didn't love her, and she supposed she should be relieved at that. That meant she wasn't at risk of hurting him or herself again, and she wasn't at risk of things changing again. But it hurt too, it hurt that he didn't feel that way for anymore, after the many times he had claimed she was his soul mate, his one and only. Then again, maybe things like that didn't matter anymore once the person you loved cheated and left.

"I didn't mean that as a way to hurt you-" Puck started, but she cut him off, waving her hand in the air.

"No, no. Its fine," Quinn assured him, flashing him a smile before finishing off her coffee, "I'm glad we've both moved on from each other."

Puck nodded, but didn't say anything in response, staring out of the window whilst Quinn tried to force away the nauseous feeling deep in her stomach.

If they had both moved on from each other, why did it hurt so much to hear it?

"Well, we should be getting back to the office to sort out the papers and everything for Beth," Puck announced with a relieved sigh, Quinn nodding and getting up from her seat, thankful for the excuse to get out of the coffee shop and out of the conversation that had slowly been verging on dangerous territory. "I wonder if we'll get to see her today," he mused as they gathered their things and made their way out of the store, the cold winds hitting them as soon as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"I hope so. It would be nice to see her again," Quinn smiled, pulling her gloves on as they walked down the sidewalk, people pushing their way past them in an attempt to get to work faster, Puck grabbing Quinn's arm to steady her as she was knocked off balance by a man with a briefcase. "Thank you," she muttered, blushing a little at the feel of his hand on her arm, even through her coat.

"You're welcome," he replied, clearing his throat a little and letting go of her, looking out at the passing cars instead. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to touch her again, even if it was just to stop her falling onto the sidewalk. "I think its great that we get Beth back this time of year. We can finally spend Christmas with her, like we always talked about doing," he smiled, hands in his pockets, Quinn nodding her agreement.

Neither of them brought up the fact that they talked about being _together _with Beth.

Or the fact that they usually spoke about that when they were in bed together, talking about having another child.

"I just hope that she's ok with us having her back. She's almost seven, and we have no idea if Shelby told her about us, or if we're going to have to explain it all to her. We're strangers to her, and its going to be hard gaining her trust," she sighed, glancing up at him, seeing that he was listening to her and nodding along. "I want us to be able to have our daughter back without her ending up hating me, or hating you. I'm afraid of my own child," she snorted, shaking her head a little, her breath leaving her lips in gusts of smoke.

"I have a feeling that she's going to surprise us, in one way or another. I mean, she's a mix of us both, which means she's probably twice as stubborn as we are," he joked, Quinn smiling at that, imagining a little blonde with her eyes and Puck's smile, refusing to eat her cereal or do her homework, letting out a laugh at the thought, Puck smiling before he too started to laugh, their breaths mixing in the cold air.

It felt good to laugh again, to hear his laugh again, and before she knew what she was doing, she had taken his hand in hers and squeezed it, like she used to do when they were laughing together. Most of the time she did it to stop herself falling from laughing so hard, but in that moment she just wanted to feel his hand in hers again, even for a moment, like she knew she would if they were doing this without the fact that they had broken up over a year ago.

Their laughter quickly faded as they realised their hands were joined, Quinn quickly dropping his hand and wrapping her arms tight around herself as his jaw clenched. Puck thrust his hands deep in his pockets as they continued towards the office building in silence, a distance between them yet again as they walked, Quinn mentally cursing herself for making such a stupid move when they were finally talking again.

"I'm sorry," Quinn mumbled as they reached the building, Puck holding the glass door open for her to pass through. "I shouldn't have done that, it was just out of habit. It won't happen again," she told him, slipping her gloves off and stuffing them into her coat pockets, running her fingers through her wind mussed hair and chancing a glance at him. He didn't look angry, but he didn't look happy either. His eyes were guarded, and she couldn't read anything from him.

"Its fine," Puck sighed, pressing the elevator button and tapping his foot impatiently against the wooden floor. Quinn taking his hand in hers just now had reminded him of the last time he had held her hand, which was right before she told him she was leaving him, and now he wanted nothing more than to sign those papers and get out of here. To get home, and away from Quinn and her ability to make him feel the feelings he had managed to lock away after she left. He had let himself be wrapped up in talking to her again, and almost forgotten what she had done to him.

He forgave her too easily. But then again, he had never quite managed to stay angry with her for long.

Quinn nodded and kept her eyes on the metal doors before them, stepping quickly inside and hitting the button for the thirteenth floor as Puck got in beside her, keeping her head held high and projecting as much indifference towards him as she possibly could. It would do them no good to dwell on the feelings that simply touching his hand for a moment had brought back in her, and it wouldn't help either of them if it happened again. They were here for Beth, not each other.

Beth. Beth. Beth. Beth. Beth.

She chanted it in her head like a mantra as the elevator rose floor by floor, keeping her eyes on the doors and away from Puck, who was stood on the other side of the elevator from her. But that wasn't saying much, what with the elevator being the size of a small closet, smaller than the closet at their apartment had been. At least in the closet at their apartment, they had enough room to not be touching. Then again, all they ever really used the closet for was touching each other whenever they had guests over, her cheeks turning red at the memory of the last time they had been in their closet, making love to each other against the wall, and he had made her feel so good that she-

Beth. Beth. Beth. Beth. Beth.

Beth was what she was there for, not Puck. Beth was important, not memories of sleeping with Puck. Beth was the reason she was here, not to jump the bones of her ex who she could feel against her side, his body heat burning through her coat to the point where she could actually feel him against her bare skin. What she would give to feel his warmth against her bare skin for real, if he would just push her up against the wall of the elevator and tear her dress off, his hands brushing their way up her stomach to grab and squeeze her-

Beth. Beth. Beth. Beth. Beth.

Quinn sighed in relief as the metal doors slid open slowly, practically diving out of the elevator and away from Puck and his distracting body. The hall that had seemed so daunting to her earlier that day now seemed like heaven as she headed down it towards the conference room, Puck trailing behind her. She was glad to put some distance between them again.

Puck headed down the hall behind Quinn, watching her as she strode determinedly into the office, watching the sway of her hips as she walked and smirking a little. He knew that she had been feeling it in the elevator too, and he wondered if she knew just how tight her dress was around her breasts. Not that he would've done anything if she had of tried anything more than holding his hand.

He wasn't going to go down that road with her again.

* * *

><p>The lawyers were all sat at the table already by the time they got there, and he noted from the looks they exchanged between them that they expected more arguing between Quinn and himself. But he had meant what he said when he told her he hadn't come here to fight with her, and in all honesty he really didn't want to fight with her. He was still angry at her, but fighting and arguing wasn't going to get them anywhere. They were here for Beth, and once this was all over, the only times they would have to see each other was when dropping Beth off at each other's houses and occasionally if Beth had a school play or talent show.<p>

"Welcome back," one of the lawyers smiled, though her tone of voice told them she would rather be anywhere but here with them, Quinn and Puck taking their seats opposite each other again. "The papers have all been processed, and all we need now is a final agreement on custody arrangements, Beth's last name if you both agree on changing it from Corcoran, and both your signatures. Then we're all done here," she explained, smiling happily at the thought of getting out of here, Quinn arching her brow at her but saying nothing.

"Did you agree on a last name?" another lawyer asked, looking between the former couple, Quinn nodding her head.

"Puckerman. Beth Puckerman," Quinn told him, catching the hint of a smile from Puck. She wasn't doing it for him, though. It was for Beth. There was no way her beautiful, perfect thing was being tainted as a Fabray. Her daughter would never have anything to do with Russell Fabray if she could help it, so she was more than happy for Puckerman to be Beth's last name. And besides, Puck was a good father, and if they had kept Beth, her last name would've been Puckerman.

The lawyer sighed in relief and wrote Beth's new last name onto the papers, Quinn licking her lips nervously as she watched his hand move across the papers that would bring her baby girl back into her arms. She had been dreaming of this moment every night since she had given Beth up, and she could feel tears building in her eyes at the realisation that this was really happening for her, for them. Beth was soon to be hers again.

"And custody? Did you meet an agreement?" the first lawyer asked, glancing over at Puck for an answer as he had been the one to oppose Quinn's initial proposition for custody arrangements.

"Uh," Puck mumbled, glancing over at Quinn for a split second. They hadn't really discussed that, but he knew Beth needed her mother. "Quinn can have her during the week, and I'll have her on weekends. During the holidays, Quinn can take her on weekends and I'll take weekdays," he told her, as it seemed Quinn was already too choked up to speak properly, her eyes locked firmly on the papers that would give them their daughter back.

The lawyer nodded and carefully wrote it down, relieved that the estranged former lovers had managed to finally agree on something together. Maybe they were more mature and ready for this than she and the other lawyers had thought, when they discussed the young couple over their coffee break. Even if they weren't friends with each other, much less a couple, at least they had found the ability to agree and be civil with one another.

"Now we just need your signature, here," the lawyer told Quinn, pointing to the line beneath the word 'Mother', Quinn brushing her fingers over the precious word and sniffing back her tears, taking the pen from her and signing her name clearly on the dotted line, a far cry from the scribble she had barely managed on the original adoption papers. "And your signature, right there," he told Puck, showing him the line next to Quinn's beneath the word 'Father'. Puck nodded and quickly signed his name, blowing out a wobbly breath and handing the papers back to the lawyer who safely put them into a file.

"Congratulations. Lucy Quinn Fabray and Noah Elijah Puckerman, you are officially parents to Beth Puckerman," the lawyer smiled, standing and extending her hand to Puck who shook it gratefully, a smile on his face.

"Wait, I need to know that there is no possible chance of Beth being snatched away again," Quinn pleaded, her confident persona melting away, Puck blinking a few times at the sight of the Quinn he had once loved with every fibre of his being. "Please."

"Go ahead, I've got this," the female lawyer told the other, handing him the folder before taking her seat next to Quinn, finding and pressing a tissue into the blonde's hand as she struggled to hold in her tears. She understood the poor girl's fear at having her baby ripped away from her again, offering her a small smile. "I can assure you that Beth is yours again, Quinn. There is no need to fear losing her ever again," she assured her, squeezing her hand before continuing. "I went ahead and called the hospital, and they're happy for the two of you to visit Beth, and take her home with you tonight," she told them, adressing both Puck and Quinn.

"Thank you," Puck murmured gratefully, his heart swelling in his chest at the thought of holding his little girl in his arms again, and knowing that she wouldn't be taken away again by an adoption he didn't want or an adoptive mother who decided to just up and leave. No, Beth was his again. Theirs again.

"Its my pleasure," she smiled, shaking his hand again before she gathered her things and left the room, Quinn swiping at her cheeks with the now mascara stained tissue, the door closing behind the lawyer and leaving the new parents alone yet again with each other.

Quinn sniffled quietly and tried to hide the fact that she was crying from Puck, rifling through her bag for her mirror to check just how messed up she really looked. There was no way she was waiting another second to meet her daughter, but she didnt want to scare her by looking like some sort of horror story character.

"I was thinking we could head over there and see Beth together, so we can explain everything in one go, instead of confusing her with seperate visits," Puck offered, scuffing his shoe against the carpet awkwardly as she cried across from him, her mirror trembling in her shaking hand. He wanted to comfort her, but at the same time, he didnt. He had cried over Beth, cried over her, and she had never come back to help or comfort him.

"We have our baby back," Quinn croaked, lifting her teary eyes to look into his, quickly looking away again, wiping beneath her eyes and getting up from her seat. The only thing processing through her mind right now was her daughter, and the fact that she was theirs again. Her dream for the past six years had finally happened, and she couldnt help but cry out of both joy and sadness. Joy at having her child back, but sadness because of the lost time.

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling a little at her. "We do."

Quinn smiled at that and tossed her tissue in the bin, checking her appearance one last time before she stuffed her mirror into her bag. Her eyes were red and puffy, but at least she didn't look like that thing from Batman. Beth would be scared of her enough as it was, without the running mascara. She glanced over at Puck who was hovering awkwardly by the end of the table, clearly waiting for her as she pulled her coat back on with a sigh. They might have agreed on a few things now, and they had managed a conversation that hadn't turned into a fight after two minutes, but she knew things were far from fixed between them. She wasn't forgiven, she could see that much in his eyes, when he looked at her, that was.

She wished he would hold her like he used to, wished he would tell her that everything was going to be ok and that they could do this together. Puck was the only person that had ever managed to comfort her when it came to Beth, and she longed to feel him hug her close to his chest, like nothing bad in the world could ever hurt her again. She wanted it so much, that she only realised she had actually stepped towards him for a hug, when he backed away from her, her arms dropping limply back against her sides.

"I can't, Quinn," Puck mumbled, shaking his head a little and clearing his throat. "I haven't forgiven you, and things aren't ok between us," he added, keeping his eyes on the floor so he wouldn't see the hurt in her eyes. He had missed holding her, but as soon as she had reached out for him, he couldn't help but back away from her.

"I know," Quinn muttered, stuffing her hands into her gloves.

"What you did hurt and-"

"I get it," she snapped, cutting him off with a wave of her hand.

Puck nodded, but didn't say anything else, simply standing there whilst she gathered her things, the pair heading silently back down the hall towards the elevator, the click of her heels ringing in his ears with every step they took. The elevator took far too long to come, and even longer to take them down to the parking lot, the silence weighing heavily on the both of them as they stood as far away from each other as possible, Quinn studying her shoes whilst he cracked his knuckles for something to do.

Quinn sighed as the doors open and Puck walked straight out, walking in front of her and not looking back to see if she was following. Maybe he could hear the clicking of her heels. Or maybe he just didn't care.

There was a car waiting to take them both to the hospital to see Beth, and she was grateful for that. After the events of today, she wasn't sure she could handle driving herself to the hospital safely. Puck had reached the black car before she had, and she knew from the clenched jaw and the guarded look in his eyes that he was back to the Puck she had seen this morning, the Puck that wanted nothing to do with her.

As she climbed into the backseat beside him, she saw him flinch a little, then sigh as the car pulled away from the office building, and headed through the streets of New York, neither of the two exchanging a single word.

She wondered how they could go from being lovers, to complete strangers.

* * *

><p><em>I'd tell you I miss you,<em>

_but I don't know how._

_I've never heard silence quite this_

_loud._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you for reading! I'm sorry for not posting this yesterday, but I was stuck revising for my History assessment. <em>**

**_Review if you know, if you want to, and have a good day. :)_**

**_Lyrics used: Taylor Swift- The Story Of Us._**


	3. Cold As You

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews for the last chapter, I honestly wasn't expecting that and I wish I could hug each one of you for saying so many nice things. Especially to BMontague who made me smile so big, seeing as I'm OBSESSED with your stories. I also just wanted to say happy birthday to Taylor Swift, as I wouldn't be the person I am now without her positive impact on my life. **_

_**Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy. :)**_

* * *

><p><em>So I start a fight, cause I need to feel something.<em>

_And you do what you want, cause I'm not_

_what you wanted._

_Oh, what a shame._

_What a rainy ending given to a perfect day._

_Just walk away,_

_ain't no use defending words that you will never say._

* * *

><p>Quinn hated hospitals with a passion, hated them more than anything else. The lingering stench of bleach in the air burnt her nose as she and Puck walked silently down the corridor towards the elevators, glancing into every window she passed by, and looking away just as quickly. Hospitals held far too many bad memories for her and she could physically feel her skin crawling beneath her dress as Puck pressed the button for the elevator, offering a small smile to the young girl in the wheelchair that rolled past them.<p>

Everywhere she looked, there was a reminder of the three times she had spent in a hospital, and neither time was one she wished to remember. It had been in a hospital where she had given birth to her perfect thing, and in the same hospital, she had signed away all rights over her beautiful baby girl just a few hours later.

After her car accident in senior year, she had spent just over a week in hospital, surrounded by doctors and nurses who were constantly pressing and prodding her numb legs whilst her mother weeped in the corner for her perfect thing who wasn't so perfect anymore.

But then again, maybe she had never really been perfect, anyway.

The third time she had been in hospital wasn't that long ago, and she would do anything in her power not to remember that, or the events leading up to it. As far as she was concerned, that was buried in the past and she would do everything in her power to not open up that box again.

"How are you feeling?" Puck asked as they stepped into the elevator, his voice deeper, gruffer. It was funny how much had changed about him in the year they had been apart from each other. He had noticed the way she flinched when they entered the hospital, and the way she seemed to shrink her body up as they walked, as if that way nothing bad could happen to her. In another time, he would've held her hand or kept her close to his side, so she knew he was there with her and the ghosts of her accident and the adoption couldn't catch up to her.

But if he comforted her, if he let her in even just a little, he wasn't sure he'd be able to shut her back out.

And he needed her to be as shut out from him as possible.

"I'm fine," Quinn answered, with as much confidence as she could muster, but they both heard the way her voice cracked when she spoke. In all honesty, she was terrified of Beth, of seeing her little girl again and having to explain why she had been absent from her life for so long, of the large possibility of her daughter hating her. All she had wanted for the past six years was her baby back and she longed to feel her in her arms again. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel Beth's tiny, warm weight against her breasts, and could still remember her sweet newborn scent.

"What do you want to say to her, when she asks why we haven't been there for her?" he sighed, glancing over at the blonde who was wringing her hands nervously as the elevator rose slowly from floor to floor, taking them closer to their little girl. It wasn't an _if _Beth asked, it was a matter of _when _she asked, and he wanted to explain it as gently as he could to their daughter.

Quinn let out a breath and chewed on her lip for a moment before looking up at him, studying his chocolate brown eyes. Would Beth still have her eyes, or would they have changed over time to be the same colour as Puck's? She hadn't really been able to tell in the pictures she had gotten from her lawyer. "The truth. We tell her the truth, that we love her with all our hearts, that she was made from love, but that we were too young to give her what she deserved. We tell her that we've missed her and that there hasn't been one second that we haven't thought about her. We tell her that we're taking her home," she sniffed, nodding her head firmly and turning her eyes back to the metal doors.

She had lost out on her chance with Beth in senior year, and it killed her.

She would make sure that this time, Beth knew exactly how much she loved her.

"It'll be ok, Quinn. We'll make sure she knows," he promised, offering her a small smile as the elevator finally stopped, the doors sliding open to reveal yet another bleach smelling corridor. Beth was down this corridor somewhere, and he couldn't wait until he got to see her beautiful little face again, until he got to hold her in his arms again. His daughter was the best thing he had done in his life and he was more than excited to see her again. And nervous, too.

The good kind of nervous, though. The kind of nervous he got before the glee club performed at nationals, the kind of nervous he was when he started his first deployment, the kind of nervous he was when he asked Quinn to tell him to stay after telling her that she was his soul mate. His one and only. But it turned out he wasn't her soul mate, and that maybe they hadn't been meant for each other after all.

The former lovers stepped out of the elevator together and headed down the hall towards the receptionist's desk, Quinn lagging behind him a little, her eyes searching every window they passed by in search of their perfect thing. There were children everywhere, running, squealing, crying, laughing. He loved children, unless they were his brat sister, and he couldn't quite stop the smile from breaking out on his face as a little girl waved at him and Quinn.

It wasn't Beth, but she made him smile, anyway.

"Hi guys, how can I help you?" the receptionist asked with a smile, popping her gum and leaning towards Puck, giving him an obvious look over whilst Quinn scoffed in disgust and rolled her eyes. It shouldn't make her jealous anymore to see people flirting with Puck, so she forced a smile when both Puck and the receptionist looked in her direction, shrugging her shoulders and drumming her fingers on the table.

Puck wasn't hers anymore, and hadn't been for a long time.

"We're here to see our daughter, Beth Corcoran," Quinn smiled, arching her eyebrow effortlessly at the young receptionist, adding emphasis to the fact that Beth was their daughter, hers and Puck's. This woman was way out of her league if she thought Puck would ever be interested in her, and she was kidding herself if she thought she would ever get her dirty little hands on Puck whilst Quinn was around. "_We're _her parents," she added with a smug smile as the receptionist quickly moved away from Puck.

Well, maybe she did still feel protective over Puck, after all.

"She's uh, she's just down the hall, fifth door on your right," she muttered, gesturing down the corridor and keeping her eyes to herself, much to Quinn's satisfaction, her attention trained firmly on the papers before her and not the blonde before her.

"Thank you," Quinn muttered, rolling her eyes and heading down the hall, Puck following after her with a confused frown on his face, watching the way Quinn's hips swayed and the way in which she walked, as if she owned the place, eyes of both men and woman following her progression down the hall. HBIC Quinn had come out to play, and he couldn't quite help but smirk at the fact that Quinn was jealous simply over another woman flirting with him.

"Put Scary Quinn away," Puck murmured with a smirk as he fell into step with the blonde, counting the doors as they walked.

Five doors until they saw Beth again.

Four doors until they saw Beth again.

"Put man whoring Puck away long enough to remember we're here for our daughter, not to hook up with the damn receptionist. Surely you can keep it in your pants long enough to remember she's the reason we're here," Quinn snapped in response, the words leaving her mouth faster than she could ever attempt to stop them, quickly clamping her mouth shut as Puck's jaw clenched, his lips pursing and his footsteps slowing for a moment before they picked up again. She shouldn't have said that, she had no right to say that to him.

Three doors until they saw Beth again.

Two doors until they saw Beth again.

Quinn was just about to apologise to Puck, to tell him that she hadn't meant what she said, that she was just over emotional and completely out of line, when he finally spoke up again. She probably should've known from the coldness in his eyes that his next words wouldn't exactly be of the forgiving sort.

One door until they saw Beth again.

"_I'm_ not the one who has trouble staying faithful to someone," Puck muttered lowly, Quinn's eyes flickering up to meet his. "At least I didn't fuck someone else in our bed, in our apartment, whilst you were out getting a stupid engagement ring to propose on our daughter's birthday so we could have something to celebrate that day. That was _you, _Quinn, so I don't think you have any right whatsoever to say that to me," he scowled, sucking his teeth before pursing his lips and glancing at the door that separated them from Beth, Quinn glaring at him with angry, tear filled eyes.

"Don't you dare-"

"What? You don't like being reminded of the fact that you can't be faithful to someone? Too bad, Quinn. I know I'm here for Beth. Beth is the only reason I'm here, otherwise I would've turned the car around as soon as I heard you were going to be here. You don't get to just sweep back into my life and have some sort of jealous claim over me, and you don't get to insult me. Not after what you did. You walked out of my life a year ago, and for all I care, you can walk back out again. I'm not here for you, and I don't feel anything for you," he told her firmly, anger bubbling up inside of him. Quinn had no right whatsoever to insult him like that.

Quinn stared at him for a long moment before she clenched her jaw and nodded, looking away from him and letting out a breath. She knew Puck would be angry with her, knew he had every right to be angry at her, but she didn't think he was capable of feeling that kind of hatred towards someone. He had never hated her before.

Maybe fighting was the only way they felt anything for each other anymore.

* * *

><p>After their argument, they had stood out in the hall in silence for ten minutes, staring blankly at the wall and trying their best to cool off. Beth wasn't going to see them fight with each other, no matter how much she wanted to slap him for what he had said or how much he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. They had both grown up with parents that fought all the time, and neither of them wanted that for their perfect thing. Beth was going to have the best they could possibly give her, and for her sake they had to be polite with each other.<p>

"Do you think she's sleeping? Its pretty late for a six year old," Quinn commented in an attempt to break the silence, Puck glancing over at her and staring at her for a long moment before he sighed and slumped against the wall a little, Quinn hoping that meant he had let go of a little of his anger.

"I don't know. If she's anything like you, she probably will be," Puck shrugged, looking down at his watch. It was just past eight o'clock, and if Beth was anything like her mother, she would probably have fallen asleep a while ago. Quinn had always fallen asleep early when they lived together, both when she was pregnant and when they were together. It'd get to half eight and she'd be out like a light, but he didn't know if he was supposed to know things like that about Quinn anymore.

"She's always been more like you than me. Remember when she was born? She didn't sleep at all for the time we had her, and the time we babysat her in senior year she was awake for longer than I usually am. I hope she's like you, I don't want her to have anything from me," Quinn sighed, licking her lips and looking back at the door. Beth was too pure to inherit any personality traits from her.

Puck nodded but didn't say anything, looking back down at his watch. He personally hoped Beth was a little carbon copy of Quinn, but of course he didn't voice that thought. Instead, he stared at the face of his watch until another minute had passed by, before taking a deep breath and pushing away from the wall. "Ready to do this?" he asked, nodding towards Beth's room, Quinn biting her lip hard and nodding.

Quinn reached for the door handle first, and so he let her, the blonde muttering something under her breath that sounded like a prayer of some sort, before she wrapped her fingers around the cool door handle and pushed it open, stepping into the room.

"Beth?" Quinn asked softly, her eyes scanning the dimly lit room in search of her daughter, sucking in a breath as the little bathroom door in the corner opened, and a small blonde head peered out, hazel eyes locking with hazel. Beth looked so small, yet so much bigger than the last time Quinn had seen her, and she couldn't quite help the tears that filled her eyes, nor the sob that escaped her lips.

"Are you my Mom?" Beth asked, arching her brow at the blonde and studying her for a moment before leaving the bathroom and padding across the room to her bed, Quinn watching her every step with teary eyes, trying her hardest to stop from grabbing at her child and never letting go of her again. She was so beautiful, so perfect, just like she remembered, with blonde curls and stunning hazel eyes. Beth was her miracle, her gift, her perfect thing.

"What did they tell you?" Puck murmured when it seemed Quinn wasn't able to speak through the tears that were streaking her cheeks. He closed the door behind him and pulled a chair up beside Beth's bed, taking his seat and smiling at his little girl, studying her, trying to memorise every detail of her. She was identical to Quinn, right down to the nervous lip bite and the arched eyebrow.

"That I have two Mommies and the Mommy that had me in her belly was coming to take me home with my Daddy," Beth shrugged, pulling her colouring book into her lap from the bedside table. fishing out a pink crayon and starting to colour in the elephant on her page, pausing for a moment and glancing over at Quinn who was stood frozen by the door in tears. "Is she sad to see me? Cause she's crying and she's all frozen like. Is she like Elsa? Does she freeze stuff when she's real sad?" she asked, leaning into Puck and raising her eyebrow at the blonde.

Puck laughed at how simple and innocent Beth's mind was, shaking his head and grinning at his little miracle as he leaned in close to her, tucking a stray blonde curl behind her ear. "No, monkey face. She's real happy to see you, that's why she's crying," he explained, glancing over at Quinn and offering her a smile. To say he felt guilty was a bit of an understatement. He had missed Beth, and he wanted to get stuck right in and start being her Dad again. But he understood it must be harder for Quinn, as she had told him once that being without Beth felt like she had lost half her body. She had carried Beth after all, so he knew she struggled a lot.

"Oh. Well, can she come talk too? Her hair is just like mine" Beth smiled, looking over to Quinn and grinning at her, the blonde's face lighting up with a smile in return. "Was I in there? Did I swap bellies?" she frowned, pointing to Quinn's flat stomach as the blonde came to join them, scrunching her nose up as she sat down beside the man she guessed was her Dad. It was confusing to her how she had two Mommies, yet she had never seen this one before.

Quinn laughed a little at that and sniffled, wiping her cheeks on the back of her sleeve and offering her daughter a shaky smile. "No, baby, you didn't swap bellies. You grew in here until you were big enough to be born, and I gave birth to you. You were so tiny and so beautiful, the most beautiful baby in the world. I loved you so much, Beth," she murmured as she ran her fingers over her now flat stomach, taking the plunge and reaching out to touch her daughter's cheek, brushing her thumb along the soft skin and smiling happily at her. She'd done it, she'd touched her perfect thing and nothing bad had happened.

"If you loved me, why'd you go away?" Beth frowned, leaning into Quinn's touch a little as she stroked over her cheek. Her fingers were really soft, just like her Mom's were when she would hold her. Quinn seemed pretty nice to her, and she somehow knew that if she ever wanted a hug, her parents would be more than happy to hug her.

Quinn sighed and lowered her eyes for a moment, glancing to Puck and shaking her head when he mouthed at her that he would answer if she couldn't. No, this was her question to answer. She was Beth's mother, she had given her away and now she needed to be the one to explain why. "When you were born, I was very young, and I couldn't afford to give you all the things you deserved. I wasn't good enough for you, Beth, so I had to let you go. I had to give you to your Mom, so that I could get better for you and be a good Mommy for you when I found you again. I loved you more than anything, we both did, and we still do. You're loved and you're made from love," she told her, looking into her eyes as she spoke so Beth would see that she meant every word she said to her.

"Are you better now?" Beth asked, lifting the hand that wasn't in the pink cast and touching Quinn's cheek, frowning at the wetness there. "Don't cry," she pouted, wiping Quinn's tears away with a smile.

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm all better now," Quinn breathed, closing her eyes at the feeling of Beth's little fingers on her cheek, Puck smiling at the moment they were sharing. All Quinn had ever wanted was to tell her daughter she loved her, and she couldn't imagine anything could feel better than her baby's fingers on her skin. "I'm crying because I'm happy, baby. I missed you lots and lots, and I'm happy to see you again."

"Oh. Well, I guess I missed you, too," Beth grinned, looking to both Quinn and Puck. "Are we getting out of here tonight? It smells like dead fish in here and I don't wanna sleep in here cause the ghost fishes might come for me," she yawned, stretching her arms above her head and arching her back, swinging her legs back and forth and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Well, we're allowed to take you with us tonight if you're ok with that," Puck told her, tucking a blonde curl behind her ear and smiling as it stuck back out again. Even though he didn't feel anything for Quinn anymore, he would forever be grateful to her for choosing to keep their baby instead of taking the easy way out, even though almost everyone turned their backs on her when she was pregnant. If it weren't for Quinn, he wouldn't have Beth and he couldn't imagine a world without her in it.

She really was their perfect thing.

"You don't look like that's something you'd be ok with," Quinn noted, biting her lip a little at the look on Beth's face. She understood, they were glorified strangers to Beth right now, and it was completely normal for the little girl to be wary of them. "Look, Beth, you don't have to start calling us Mommy and Daddy and sleep in bed with me or your Dad when its thundering. You're our daughter, even if you don't think of us as your parents yet, and we don't want to leave you in here," she explained softly, sucking in a breath before reaching out to take Beth's hands in hers, being extra careful of her injured hand. She just wanted to finally get to take her baby home.

"Do you love me?" Beth asked quietly, holding Quinn's handing and looking to Puck who took hold of her bandaged hand.

"More than anything," Puck promised, kissing her tiny fingers. She was so delicate and flawless, their perfect little girl.

"If I go home with you, can I have lucky charms for breakfast?" Beth mumbled sleepily, Quinn smiling and looking to Puck who nodded. Case closed. They were taking their baby home, after six long years of missing her and wishing they had her. They weren't together anymore, so that was different, but for the whole time they had been with Beth, they had managed to be civil with each other.

Maybe Beth was the one that would fix everything.

"You can have as many lucky charms as you want for breakfast, monkey face. Quinn here is addicted to them, so you'll have to snatch the marshmallows before her," Puck teased, picking up the little pink sneakers from the floor and slipping Beth's feet into them, tying them for her whilst Quinn started to pack the few things Beth had in the room into the pink backpack at the end of the bed.

"Marshmallows," Beth giggled, yawning and scrunching her nose up with a sigh.

"She looks like you when she does that," Quinn smiled, nodding at their daughter's sleepy face as she helped her into the cardigan she had found in the back pack, crouching before Beth to button it up. She looked just like Puck when she was sleepy, but she figured she should probably try not to bring up the fact that she knew what it looked like when Puck was falling asleep. Or that she used to just lie there at night and watch him sleep, his bare skin against hers keeping her warm whilst she watched his eyelids flutter, wondering if he was dreaming.

"I'm not a boy," Beth grumbled, pouting at the blonde who simply smiled up at her. "You smile a lot at me, its creepy," she added grumpily.

"Ha! She's grumpy when she's tired like you, though," Puck smirked, getting up from his seat and helping Beth down from the bed, taking hold of her hand whilst Quinn zipped up the backpack and hung it from her arm. It was amusing to pick out the parts of Beth that were like her mother, and the parts that were like him, as well as the parts that were just pure Beth.

Quinn smiled and rolled her eyes, opening the door and holding it open whilst Puck and Beth passed through it before letting it close behind them, following them down the corridor, unable to stop smiling as she watched Beth trudge down the hall, her sneakers lighting up with every step she took. It was such a simple sight, but it made her happier than she could remember.

The smell of bleach wasn't as strong now, and she wasn't afraid anymore, either. She had Beth back, and there was no one in the world that could take her away from her again. Ever. She wouldn't let go of Beth again, not now she finally had her back. And Puck was back in her life again, and she wasn't going to let him go, either.

Not until she had fixed everything.

"Quinnie," Beth mumbled, stopping in the hall and turning around to face the blonde, stretching her arms up at her and wiggling her fingers at her. "Too tired for walking," she yawned, her eyes drooping again as she pouted at her, Puck smiling at how cute she was when she was tired. They had missed out on so many nights with Beth, and it felt good to not be missing out on her anymore.

"Alright, baby. Here we go," Quinn grunted as she lifted the little blonde up from the floor, settling on her hip and securing her there, closing her eyes for a moment as Beth's little head dropped into her neck, her breath warm on her skin. She'd never felt anything as right as holding her little girl in her arms, and she didn't know she was crying until she opened her eyes again and Puck flashed her a sympathetic smile.

"Ready to go?" Puck asked, smiling a little at the way Beth fit perfectly into Quinn's body. When he had first found out she was pregnant with Beth, the image of her holding their daughter like that was a constant in his dreams. It was a little surreal to see it playing out before him, but he was so glad that he was able to see it. No matter how much Quinn had hurt him, she deserved to have their daughter back.

They both did.

Quinn nodded and smiled at him, a genuine smile, before walking alongside him down the hall, Beth held securely in her arms. She could feel Beth's arms looped around her neck whilst she slept on her, the little girl holding on tight to her as they made their way to the elevator. The receptionist hadn't dared look in their direction and whilst part of Quinn knew she had no right to have been angry that she was interested in Puck, she couldn't help but be glad to notice Puck didn't bother to look in her direction, either.

She hoped things would fix themselves, sooner rather than later.

Even if it took a month, a year, a decade, she wasn't going to stop until her family was intact.

* * *

><p>"This is your place?" Puck asked as he pulled up on the driveway, looking up at the house before them. It wasn't extravagant or worth a million dollars like he had expected from this new Quinn, if he was honest. He didn't know whether to be glad of that or not. On one hand it was nice to see that Quinn hadn't gone back to the typical Fabray stereotype of living in unnecessary luxury, but on the other it would've been better to see that Quinn leaving him and their life together had brought about at least one benefit.<p>

As far as he could see, there were no benefits of what had happened.

"This is it," Quinn smiled proudly, glancing into the backseat where Beth was fast asleep with her jacket covering her tiny body like a blanket. It had been almost impossible for her to separate with Beth after holding her again, and she couldn't wait to hold her again. "I bought this house all on my own, and the furnishings, my car, insurance, everything. My family have had no input or influence at all, and I'm proud of that. I made something of my life myself, without their guilt money," she explained, unbuckling her seat belt.

"Its nice. Its just not what I expected from you, that's all," he shrugged, cutting the engine and looking back at Beth. It was going to hurt like hell to say goodbye to her until the weekend. He'd only just got her back, and he wasn't quite ready to let go again just yet.

"Do you want to carry her up to bed?" she offered, seeing the hesitance in his eyes to leave just yet. And she understood completely; neither of them wanting to part from their daughter ever again, but they weren't together anymore, so they both knew there was no way for them to be with Beth at all times of the day, either.

"I'd love that," he smiled gratefully, opening the car door and getting out, closing the door behind him and opening the back door whilst Quinn took Beth's backpack and headed up the path to open up the front door for them. "Come on, baby girl. Lets get you to bed," he murmured, carefully lifting Beth into his arms from the backseat and closing the car door, carrying her up the path to Quinn's house, Beth snoring in his ear.

Quinn's house really wasn't what he expected from her, at all. It was pretty big, but she had furnished it comfortably, and the air smelt like a mixture of cookies and vanilla when he closed the front door quietly behind him, looking around the hall. There were several framed pictures on the wall to his left above a side cabinet, Puck smiling to see they were all of Beth. He was glad she wasn't hiding her past anymore.

"I was thinking of taking Beth down to the mall tomorrow to get her some things, toys and clothes and things like that," Quinn grinned, coming out of the kitchen with a strawberry fruit shoot drink in hand. Some things really didn't change at all.

"I think she'd like that," Puck agreed, feeling a little awkward being in his ex girlfriend's house, talking to the woman he had sworn he wanted out of his life for good, whilst their daughter slept in his arms. It was all very surreal, and he could tell from the way Quinn's smile faltered just a little that she knew he wasn't comfortable around her at all, yet. "Where do you want her?" he asked, pressing his lips to Beth's hair as he rocked her gently in his arms, glancing into the living room, his eyes spotting the picture he used to have in his apartment right away.

The one of the two of them in Times Square a few years ago.

But why would she have taken that with her?

And why was it proudly sat on her mantel?

"I want her in my arms, all night, but I know she's not ready for that, yet," Quinn sighed, stepping closer to him to run her fingers through Beth's curls, feeling Puck stiffen a little at the feeling of her body touching his arm. "You can go, if you want to. You don't have to be around me now," she told him with a frown, stepping away from him and holding her arms out for Beth.

"I'm not here for you," he reminded her, tightening his hold on Beth and glancing at the stairs. "Guest room or something?" he asked, starting towards the stairs, Beth wrapping her arms tighter around his neck as she slept. He wasn't letting go of Beth just yet, not for Quinn, not for anyone.

"Second door on your left," she muttered, following him up the stairs, her arms crossed tight across her chest. He didn't need to keep reminding her that he wasn't there for her; it was clear from the way he acted around her, as if she carried some sort of disease that could kill him if he got too close to her.

Puck nodded and continued up the stairs, humming a little to Beth as he turned to his left, glancing into the room he passed by, the door wide open and clothes strewn across the black fluffy rug on the floor. He knew that was Quinn's bedroom without having to ask, quickly looking away once he spotted a very familiar bra in there, clearing his throat and pushing open the door to the guest room. It wasn't such a good idea to glance into your ex's bedroom and see a bra that she had always worn on date night with him.

"There we go, monkey face," he murmured, lowering Beth onto the bed, Quinn pulling the blankets up over her body to tuck her in, blonde curls spread out across the pillows as she rolled onto her stomach and let out a loud snore, Quinn smiling and stroking over her hair. "I'll see you this weekend," he promised, kissing Beth's forehead before moving away, watching as Quinn set about turning on the lamps and plugging night lights into the wall sockets.

"You can go, now. You've made it clear already that you don't want to be around me," Quinn told him, brushing her bangs back out of her face as she straightened up and turned the night light on, Puck frowning just a little.

"Can we not do this here, Quinn?" Puck sighed, rolling his eyes and scratching the back of his neck. "Its been a long day as it is, and you know exactly why it is that I have a problem being around you. I have no objections whatsoever to being around you when Beth is with us, that's fine, I want that. I want for her to have normal family time, I want for her to be able to spend time with both of us at some points but that doesn't mean we're ok, because we're not," he told her, following her out of the bedroom, Quinn closing the door almost completely, so Beth wouldn't wake up and hear them.

"Can you just stop already?! I know that I hurt you, I know that what I did was awful and wrong and if I could take it back, I would do it in a heartbeat but I can't. I can't take it back, just like you can't take back the mistakes you've made either. And yes, before you say, I know you never cheated on me, but you're not a saint, either. I've tried to apologise, I've tried to fix things, I've tried none stop to make contact with you while we've been apart to try to make things better and all you do is throw it right back in my face! How many times do you have to tell me you don't want me around?! I get it, ok! You hate me, you don't want me, you wish I wasn't around, I get it! God, I know that we're not fine, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to ask why it is that you keep on telling me that I'm not wanted! I heard you the first time, and from the looks of it, I'll hear it again by the time you've left," Quinn snapped angrily, pulling her bedroom door closed, too.

"What did you expect from me, Lucy? Did you think I'd forgive you for sleeping with that asshole and ruining our life together, for what? What have you got to show for leaving huh? Is James still around? Are we waiting for him to come home? Oh wait, no we're not, because he cheated on you just like you did me," he smiled, his head snapping to the side as she slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you dare call me Lucy," she hissed, her palm stinging from the force she had used behind the slap, her eyes burning with anger. "You have no right to bring that into this. You don't know what my life has been like, and you don't know me," she told him firmly, heading down the stairs quickly and pulling her front door open.

If he hated being around her so much, he could leave.

"That's where you're wrong. I do know you. I know you have a need to have the best of everything, to be the perfect Christian daughter that your parents expect you to be and no matter how much you act like you don't care about them, you know damn well that you'll do anything to be back in their good books. That's why you left me, isn't it? Because that Yale douche of yours would have looked much better beside you at the thanksgiving table than the man who got you pregnant in sophomore year. You act like you're a different person, but you're still the girl you were when you were pregnant. You always have to have the person that's best for your reputation," he argued back, following her down the stairs.

Quinn was silent for a long moment, her breasts heaving as she panted angrily, glaring at him and holding the door open for him to leave through. "You're wrong," she answered, shaking her head. "You have no idea who I am, or why I left."

"Why don't you tell me then, huh?" Puck suggested, leaning into Quinn who sucked in a breath and looked away from him as he pressed his body flush into hers, feeling a rush of heat flood her body, squeezing her thighs tight together. "And I wasn't using Lucy against you. I was talking to her, because I have no idea who this new Quinn is," he muttered, his breath warming her lips as he leant his forehead against hers, feeling her breasts against his chest as her breathing quickened, her eyes meeting his.

"I'm still me," Quinn sniffed, lifting her hand to his cheek, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I loved you. I really, really loved you," Puck muttered, his nose nudging hers.

"I know, and I loved you, too. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I didn't mean for us to be like this with each other. I never wanted to hurt you, never you. Please believe that," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "I shouldn't have hit you, and I'm sorry for that," she sniffed, brushing her thumb over the red marks on his cheek from her slap.

"I thought I was done with you. I thought I felt nothing for you anymore, but then you walked into that office. I don't know if I hate you, if I want you out of my life, if I want to ignore you for the rest of my life," he sighed, leaning into her touch. He couldn't help it; he missed her touch so much. "I don't know if I hate you because I still lo-"

Puck quickly stopped himself from what he was about to say, starting to pull away when Quinn grasped his collar and pulled him back in, their lips millimeters apart.

"Say it," she breathed, closing her eyes and leaning in, brushing her lower lip against his. "Please, Noah. Just say it," she whispered, spearing her fingers through his hair to pull him in even closer. God, had she missed his lips.

Puck sighed and closed his eyes for a long moment, feeling Quinn's lips grazing his every time she breathed, cupping her face in his hands as her eyes flickered open and stared into his. God, had he missed her eyes.

"Quinn, I-I'm sorry, I can't do this," Puck sighed, pulling away from Quinn, and thrusting his hands deep into his pockets. "I'll uh, I'll pick Beth up on Friday night," he muttered before stepping outside, the cold air washing over him, helping to relieve him of his need for Quinn.

As much as she had hurt him, he still needed her.

Still wanted her.

And he didn't want to need or want her.

"Puck, please don't! Don't shut me out again, please," Quinn pleaded, following him outside, still able to feel his touch. She had gotten through to him, to her Noah, for just a second, and she didn't want him to shut her back out again. "I know I hurt you, but I'm not that person anymore. Don't shut me out again, don't go back to telling me you don't want me near you."

"Quinn, don't. We can't do this, we can't start something that's only going to end in tears. I can't let you back in that easily, it doesn't matter if part of me misses you. The part of me that told you I still- that wasn't me. That was the me that loved you and that's not me anymore. We're different people, now," Puck told her, turning back to face the beautiful blonde who had stolen his heart seven years ago.

"Don't. Don't defend the words you didn't bother to say to me," Quinn answered, wrapping her arms around herself tight as she watched him carefully.

"I'll see you on Friday," Puck mumbled, ducking his head and walking to his car, feeling Quinn's eyes on him every step of the way. She had frozen his heart when she left him a year ago, and he couldn't let her warm him up again. He couldn't risk feeling the way he had when she left him. Not again.

Never again.

Quinn stood and watched from the doorway as he got into his car and started the engine, leaning against the door frame as his car pulled out of the driveway, sucking in breath after breath of cold air to stop herself from bursting into tears before him. She really thought they had a moment, but maybe she was wrong.

She stood there for a good five minutes before closing and locking the front door, leaning against it for a long moment before shutting off all of the lights and heading upstairs, peeking into Beth's room and smiling to see her baby was fast asleep. Beth was her light, her perfect thing.

Something even she couldn't screw up.

Quinn sighed and headed back into her own bedroom, leaving the door open in case Beth came to her during the night, shedding her clothes and tugging her pyjamas on before climbing into bed, pulling her blankets over her and closing her eyes, thinking of Puck and how easily he swapped between hot and cold with her.

She had apologized none stop, and she wasn't going to do so any more.

This was her fresh start, her new life.

Puck had felt what was still there, just like she had downstairs in the hall, and she wasn't going to give up on him, not until she had back what she wanted, what she needed.

And he was what she needed.

* * *

><p><em>You put up walls and paint them all a shade of<em> _grey__._

_And I stood there loving you,_

_And wished them all away. _

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you for reading if you did, and uh, a review would make my day. ;)<em>**

**_Note: the next chapter will be a flashback of Quinn and Puck's relationship from before she left him, which I promise she has reasons for which will be revealed in due time. _**

**_Lyrics used: Taylor Swift- Cold As You._**


	4. Enchanted

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**A/N: You're all so amazing and your reviews make my day. Especially to BMontague, my all time favourite Quicker ever, Autumn1999, Guest and quinnbelles who left such long and sweet reviews. I noticed a few of you were making a link last chapter, which is great. I thought y'all would've read straight past that but I'm glad you picked up on it :)**_

_**I decided that every few chapters, I'll put in a flashback chapter. I have a good feeling about them and the way they'll work into the story so I hope you don't mind.**_

_**I'm sorry for the update wait but this week has been the top level of crazy for me, and I just haven't had time to update, without the chapter being kinda shitty and I hate that so I took as much time out to write so yeah. I hope you all had a great Christmas! W**__**e're getting Quick back in on Friday, so we all have something to look forward to judging from the promo ;) **_

_**Lastly, are any of you guys going to the 1989 tour? I know not all of you will be fans of Taylor but I don't know, I'm so excited to see Taylor again!**_

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR, I HOPE ITS AMAZING FOR YOU ALL.**_

* * *

><p><em>There I was again tonight, forcing laughter,<em>

_faking smiles._

_Same old, tired, lonely place._

_Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy,_

_vanished when I saw your face._

_Your eyes whispered "have we met?"_

_Across the room your silhouette, starts to make its way to me._

_The playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks,_

_like passing notes in secrecy._

_..._

_This night is sparkling, don't you let it go._

_I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home._

_I'll spend forever wondering if you knew,_

_I was enchanted to meet you._

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Flashback chapter.<strong>_

_**Three years before Quinn left.**_

Quinn sighed as she pulled up in the McKinley high school parking lot, cutting the engine and leaning forwards to rest her forehead on the steering wheel. She hated this place, hated Lima, hated the memories that being here brought back for her. Memories of her parents, of strict diets, of falling in love with the wrong person, of her perfect thing that she had to let go, of the car accident that still pained her back to this day if she moved too quickly, of the lingering feelings that crept up on her every now and again when she thought about _him._

She wasn't even going to come to this stupid reunion, but Kurt had pulled the guilt trip card, and she hadn't been able to get out of it this time. Usually the glee club would accept her excuses of extra revision, of upcoming exams, of not feeling so good. Maybe they had just grown tired of her excuses; she knew she had. So now here she was sat in her car that was the exact same model as the car she had been temporarily paralysed in, staring up at the school that had seen every single low she had hit in her life.

The bitchy head cheerleader.

The teen mother.

The cheating teen mother.

The teen mother that had given away her child.

Bitchy head cheerleader 2.0

Skank

The mother that tried every crazy idea possible to get her baby back.

The girl in the wheelchair.

And finally, the girl that had made it to Yale.

Maybe she should be proud of how much she had changed over the years, maybe she should walk in there with her head held high and let them all know that she had risen above, that she was going places in life. But if that was so, if she was so successful, why was she sat in her car like a coward whilst all of the former glee club members made their way into the school together, laughing and joking with each other as they had always done?

Quinn sucked in a deep breath and reached for her purse in the passenger seat, stuffing her keys in there and checking her phone, smiling a little and brushing her thumb over the picture of her perfect thing that was set as her lockscreen, before getting out of the car and closing the door firmly behind her. Her heels clicked sharply against the tarmac as she headed towards the high school, keeping her eyes firmly ahead of her and a smile on her face.

She was Quinn Fabray, and there was nothing that scared her.

Not anymore.

* * *

><p>The gymnasium had been transformed, most likely by Mr Shue and Artie, into a small party for the glee club. There were streamers and balloons taped to the walls, a bar to the left side, and a stage that she had no doubt in her mind Rachel would spend most of the night up on whilst singing every damn Broadway song there was out there in the world. It wasn't that she didn't like Rachel, she did. Or at least she didn't feel like stuffing a sock in her mouth every time she spoke anymore, but she just wasn't in the mood at all to be in the school, or the gym, or Lima, or anywhere within fifty miles of someone who knew the real her. The Quinn beneath the pretty pink dress and the expensive jewellery that she wore.<p>

The balloons and streamers didn't cover the cheerios and anti-tots posters completely, and she felt her skin crawl every time she saw a pom pom string fly across the floor whenever Tina span around. Which was a lot. Didn't the girl ever get dizzy?

"Quinn, how lovely of you to make it," Mr Shuester smiled, approaching the blonde who hovered awkwardly by the bar. He hadn't seen Quinn since the night of his 'wedding' to Emma, and the glee club had told him more often than not that Quinn hadn't really been in touch with them as much as they had hoped. He understood why the blonde wouldn't be overly excited about returning to Lima, but he hoped that tonight at least, she would join in with them.

They were a family, and family was important.

"Mr Shue, its great to see you again," Quinn smiled, lifting her eyes to the man that had been a father to her, when her own had abandoned her, leaning in to hug him. His arms felt safe as they wrapped around her, and let out a little sigh of relief, glancing around the room at her friends who smiled happily when they noticed her, making their way over to her. They were all here.

Except for _him. _

"Quinn! Its about time you got that hot white girl ass of yours down here from fancy town. We haven't seen you in so long!" Mercedes grinned, sweeping Quinn into a bone crushing hug as soon as Mr Shue had let go of her, Quinn smiling and hugging her back.

Mercedes was one of, if not her best friend, and it had only really hit her how much she had missed her now that she was seeing her again. She had given her a place to live when she needed an escape from _him _and her feelings for him, and had been there for her when she gave birth to her perfect thing.

"I've been really busy with studying and exams, but its good to be home," Quinn smiled, lying just a little and reaching over to hug Kurt. Maybe she had been afraid for no reason of coming back here. Maybe her past wasn't as daunting as it seemed to be in her mind. Maybe Lima wasn't so bad after all.

"He's just late, Q. He'll be here, though," Kurt murmured into her ear, hugging her for another moment or so before pulling away, Quinn stiffening a little and licking her lips, glad for the distraction that Rachel caused as she dropped her microphone onto the floor, a harsh squeaking sound threatening to ruin her eardrums.

"Dammit Berry! If my eardrum has burst because of you, I'm going all Lima Heights on your sorry ass!" Santana yelled loudly, Quinn using that opportunity to excuse herself, heading straight for the bar and pulling out her fake ID, flashing it at the bartender and ordering a shot of tequila.

She knew exactly who Kurt was talking about, knew exactly what the twisting feeling in her stomach was at the thought of being in the same room as Noah Puckerman. Most of the glee club probably thought that she hated him, that she wanted nothing to do with him and that he was a mistake, that she regretted every moment she had spent with him. That wasn't true at all, quite the opposite, actually. Puck had always been there for her, even when she hadn't wanted him to be, and she could never regret their daughter, or the fact that she had loved him.

And part of her still did love him.

But she had needed a clean break, and so had he, going their separate ways without so much as a goodbye after Finn's funeral three months ago.

Quinn reached for the shot glass as the bartender set it down, tossing it back and wincing at the burn before ordering another, watching her friends as they danced around foolishly, Rachel's voice wailing out of the speakers that she swore were set as loud as they could go. At this rate she would be deaf before she came up with an excuse to leave early, but maybe that wasn't so bad, either. At least she would be able to properly ignore her mother's attempts to set her up with men from the church.

"You look exactly how I feel. If you decide to take out a sniper rifle, just know that I volunteer to help dump the body," Santana grumbled as she dropped onto the stool beside Quinn, snatching her shot and tossing it back, rolling her eyes at Rachel and Blaine who had taken over. As usual. "You know, I thought living with her in New York would help me tolerate her, but the only thing I've done is plan out her murder and how I'll get away with it," she shrugged, grinning at Quinn who smiled and ordered a glass of white wine.

"I'll help," Mercedes chuckled as she joined them with Tina, rolling her eyes at the small brunette diva.

"My ears hurt," Brittany whined, clapping her hands tight over her ears.

"I wish I was deaf," Artie added grumpily, putting the brakes on his chair.

Quinn smiled at them and listened half heartedly to what they were saying, unable to keep her eyes from shifting around the room vacantly, sighing and shifting her weight slightly against the bar to relieve her back of the slight pain that was beginning to form at the base of her spine. She was completely healed from her car accident, but her back had never quite been the same again, and that combined with Rachel and Blaine's screeching, and the closeness of people she hadn't spoken to in months, had her feeling more than a little nauseas.

Her eyes swept across the gymnasium as if searching for something, straightening up a little and smiling behind her wine glass when she found it.

Found _him._

He looked amazing as he walked in through the double doors, licking her lips a little as she let her eyes travel over his body in the crisp blue air force uniform, his muscles a lot more defined through his blazer than they had been the last time she saw him in his bedroom the night of Finn's funeral, the two struggling to keep quiet despite his mother being in the room beside his.

His hair had grown out of the ridiculous Mohawk, and she couldn't help but feel her fingers twitch slightly at the thought of running them through his hair and holding on tight whilst he moved on top of her, his lips on hers and his deep brown eyes staring into hers whilst his calloused fingers roamed about her body, squeezing and stroking, touching her and making her-

"Quinn! Did you hear what I said?" Santana demanded, rolling her eyes at the vacant blonde who blinked a few times and looked to her in confusion.

"Sorry, I blanked for a moment," Quinn lied, forcing a smile and taking a long gulp of her wine before tearing her eyes from Puck and looking to her best friend. Clearly she had been asked for her attention more than once, judging by the scowl on Santana's face and the smug smile on Mercedes'.

God, she wasn't supposed to be thinking of Puck at all anymore. Especially not in that way.

"The uniform is hot, huh?" Mercedes grinned, winking at her and nodding over at Puck, Quinn's eyes widening a touch before she masked it again, shrugging and tossing a glace over at Puck.

"It looks a little itchy," Quinn shrugged, frowning as her friends burst into fits of laughter, looking away from them and back to Puck, her heart pounding faster in her chest to see that he was already looking at her. Or staring, rather, as if he didn't believe she was actually there with them.

How many of these reunions had she actually missed?

"Girl, you suck at lying. Your eyes practically fell out of your head when he walked in here," Mercedes laughed, pulling a face to mimic the blonde's expression when her baby Daddy had walked in here. She had noticed the way Quinn had smiled when she saw him, noticed the way her previously vacant looking eyes had lit up. There was still something there between the former lovers, as she had spotted the look of happiness and pure awe in Puck's eyes when he had seen Quinn, too.

Those two had never been good with subtlety.

"There's nothing between Puck and I, not anymore. I'm putting the past behind me, and that includes Puck and any sordid love affairs you all think we've had," Quinn told them firmly, finishing off her glass of wine and setting it down on the bar, pressing her hand to her lower back and rubbing a little, sighing and looking at the other men that were in the room besides _him._

Sam was looking good, a lot better now that he had cut his hair. But Puck's looked a hell of a lot better. Mike's muscles were bunching under his shirt as he danced with Marley, and maybe she could be interested in him, if it weren't for her eyes that flickered back over to Puck, locking eyes with him as if they were magnets, always pulling each other back and together.

"Fifty bucks says we'll catch them in the locker room before this shit fest is over," Santana muttered to Mercedes, eyeing the way Puck and Quinn were watching each other, the way they had always looked at each other. With longing, need, lust, care, want, and love. Quinn could tell herself it was over as much as she wanted, just like she had when she had confessed Puck was the father to her late one night in sophomore year. She had caught them the next day in the auditorium wrapped tight in each others arms. Quinn had also told her it was over after they had let Beth go, and she had lost count of how many times she had walked in on them during junior year.

Not to mention she knew for a fact that the two had been together secretly for the duration of senior year after Shelby had left with Beth.

"Over," was not a word that had ever applied to Quinn and Puck.

"You're so on," Mercedes agreed under her breath, leaning in closer to the Latina. "I say they won't make it past the hour."

* * *

><p>The party was in full swing within the next twenty minutes, the glee club laughing wildly and dancing around with each other, Artie warbling into the microphone about how much he loved Kitty, whilst the blonde cheerleader blushed wildly and hid her face in his hands. It probably would've been a lot sweeter if Artie wasn't drunk and hadn't vomited on her shoes a few minutes earlier.<p>

Rachel was dancing close to a man that had come with her from NYADA, her arms around his neck, and Quinn could see from her position at the bar that Mercedes and Santana were betting on them, as they had been doing for most of the night so far. She had no doubt in her mind that the two had placed a bet on herself and Puck, and judging by the covert glances she was receiving from Kurt, Jake and Marley, the whole of the glee club was in on that one.

Too bad she had no intentions of interacting with the father of her child.

She had worked far too hard the past two years to try to bury her past and forget about her demons, and she wasn't about to let it all resurface by striking up a conversation with the man she hadn't seen in months. The last time she had seen Puck was at Finn's funeral, and she would do everything in her power not to remember that painful day, or the way she had spent the night in Puck's arms.

Puck was leant against the wall across the gym from her, watching their friends with an amused smile, but making no attempt whatsoever to join in with them. Part of her wondered if he was ok, if there was something that was troubling him or he had been hurt overseas. The other part of her wondered if he had simply done as she had and done his best to remove himself, and now had no idea what to do or say to their friends anymore.

She knew him far too well, though. Puck would never have cut the glee club out of his life like she had, and so she sent a quick prayer up that he hadn't been injured in Iraq, and turned back to the bartender to order another glass of wine. Whilst being at Yale, she had acquired a like for wine rather than spirits and cocktails which most of her friends were drinking. Clearly the bartender was stupid enough to believe they were all drinking age, or Mr Shue wasn't so bothered if they drank or not anymore.

"Another wine?" the bartender asked with a goofy grin, pushing his blonde hair out of his face and reaching for a clean glass when Quinn nodded. "So where did you come from? You don't look like you belong here, without meaning to be rude," he smiled, pouring wine into the clean glass and looking over the beautiful blonde before him.

"I go to Yale, and these people are family," Quinn answered, gesturing at the glee club and reaching across the bar for her wine glass, flashing him a smile and straightening up, crying out at the sudden pain that shot up her spine and dropping her glass onto the floor, shards shattering around her feet.

"Its alright man, I got her. Easy, Q," Puck murmured, appearing out of nowhere, pressing his hand to her back and sitting her down on a stool, dismissing the bartender who moved as if to help Quinn. He had been watching Quinn for most of the night, partly in awe of seeing her again, and partly in longing. He had missed her more than he thought possible whilst overseas and he hadn't quite been able to stop the jealousy that had flooded through him as he watched her and the bartender.

He wasn't supposed to be jealous of seeing her with other men anymore.

But he was. And it sucked.

He had been about to approach them and steal Quinn away, when he saw her body tense and her glass fall to the floor. Her back was clearly still giving her grief, but he remembered the numerous times he had massaged Quinn's back for her after he had managed to talk her into letting him go to her therapy sessions with her, so he figured the least he could do was try to help her.

Even if she didn't want his help anymore.

"I'm fine," Quinn snapped, angry at herself for being weak, angry that Puck came to help her, angry that his hand felt so soothing and so right on her back, his fingers moving easily in small circles that effectively eased the discomfort she felt.

At least, in her back, anyway.

"Falling for me again, babe?" he teased in response, keeping up the movements of his fingers on her back, ignoring the looks they were getting from the glee club and keeping his attention solely on Quinn. She looked more beautiful than ever, her blonde hair long enough to brush just above the tops of her breasts, which looked amazing in her rose pink dress, her sweet perfume invading his senses easily.

God, had he missed her overseas.

"You wish, Puckerman," she grumbled, though she couldn't quite stop her lips from curling up into a smile, rolling her eyes at him and sighing as his fingers worked the pain out of her back, leaning into him a little to have something to support her.

"Professor Patches' couch really did one out on your back huh?" he asked teasingly, though she could hear the touch of jealousy that laced his words, Quinn frowning up at him. "Santana told me about the teacher that smokes a pipe and stuff back at Yale," he shrugged, keeping his arm around her waist to support her back and ordering a glass of coke from the bartender who eyed his uniform and nodded respectfully.

"I knew it was a mistake telling her that, and no, its nothing do with him. I ended it a few weeks before the end of my freshman year," she sighed, sucking her teeth and pursing her lips a little as she watched Santana and Brittany dancing together, simply stood close together and rocking from side to side. It must be nice, having someone to love who loved you just as much. Quinn smirked suddenly as a thought popped into her mind, looking up at Puck who was twirling a straw around his drink, his arm feeling warm and strong against her back. "You almost sounded jealous there for a moment, Puckerman," she grinned, poking his ribs lightly.

"Please, why would I be jealous of a middle aged professor with grey hair who probably smelt like my Aunt Sarah, when I know exactly what it sounds like when you're enjoying yourself between the sheets? I doubt your Professor ever made you scream the way you did that night in New York," he smirked, his breath warm against her ear, Quinn sighing and squirming a little in her seat, licking her lips at the memory.

The whole glee club had gone to New York to see Rachel and Kurt's first big NYADA performance and to do some light tourism whilst they were there, and the hotel had accidentally double booked Quinn and Puck into the same hotel room. Or at least that's what the two had told the glee club, and they had spent almost all of their time in the bed, and the hot tub, and the terrace because Quinn liked to see the stars. That had been fun, and he had made her scream loud enough for the occupants of both rooms either side of theirs, and three across the hall to come check up on them.

"Mmm, and what about your cougars? I doubt they make you feel half as good as what I did that weekend," she replied into his ear, stroking her fingers down his chest and licking her lips, smiling playfully at him as she stole his glass of coke, ignoring the smug looks the glee club were giving them. They could place bets on them all night for all she cared; they weren't going to play matchmaker for them. She had enough of that from her mother.

Puck was quiet for a moment and she almost thought he was done talking to her, until he moved his arm from her back, placing his hand on her lower back and stroking his thumb so gently over the fabric that separated his touch from skin that she felt a rush of something flood through her, something that made her want to bury herself in his arms and never let go of him again.

"Does your professor make you feel the way I do? Do any of the preppy Yale guys make you feel the way I did the night of Finn's funeral when I held you and told you everything was going to be ok?" Puck asked, all hints of teasing and playfulness leaving his voice as he looked into her beautiful eyes, feeling her hand come up to cup his cheek, her thumb caressing his cheekbone as gently as he had touched her back.

"No," Quinn admitted with a sniffle. "No one does."

* * *

><p>Quinn wasn't quite sure how they had gotten from her admission at the bar that no other man could make her feel the way Puck did, to the middle of the gym, Puck's arms holding her close as they swayed from side to side, her head resting in the crook of his neck whilst Tina and Mercedes sang and Santana snapped pictures of them. The Latina would probably use them to her advantage in the near future, but right now, neither of them cared.<p>

Puck hummed a little as he held Quinn closer to him, her fingers tightening a little in his hair as she shifted her head on his shoulder and smiled up at him, causing a smile to tug at his lips also, a genuine smile. The smile he only ever reserved for her and for their daughter. He had never felt something as amazing as having Quinn in his arms this way, the blonde's fingers leaving his hair to trail down his jaw, cupping his cheek as she rested her head against his jaw for a moment before pulling back to smile at him.

"Tell me about the air force, do you like it? What do you do?" Quinn asked curiously, tilting her head a little to the side., Puck knew about Yale, as he had visited her on numerous occasions during her freshman year there, but she had no idea what it was like in the Air Force, or even if he liked it. She had wanted to write to him, but had always found herself tossing the letter she had written into the trash, not quite ready to open her heart up to him again after the night they shared when Finn had died.

She wasn't quite sure why she was opening herself up to him, now.

Maybe it was the wine.

Or maybe it was just him.

"Its not what I thought it would be," Puck admitted with a lopsided grin, lifting her arm and spinning her out before pulling her close again, the blonde letting out a delicious giggle and peering up at him through her dark lashes. He loved her eyes so much, loved the golden ring around the dark green orbs that made them appear hazel at times and green at others. Hopefully, Beth had inherited her mother's eyes, too. "But I like it. I like the discipline, I like that the people I work with don't know anything about my past that I don't want to share with them. Its a fresh start, and I'm making something of my life. Up until now its mostly been training and base work, but they sent us out into Iraq for two weeks a month ago," he told her, laughing as she wiggled her hips completely out of time with the music.

"I'm proud of you, and I know Beth will be, too," she murmured, knowing that one of the reasons he had enlisted was to be someone that their daughter would be proud to call her father. There was no doubt in her mind that their perfect thing would be proud of him. "Do they know about Beth? About us? You know, the people that you work with?" she wondered, tracing his name badge with her finger and lifting her brow effortlessly at him.

"Yeah, your names are down on my paperwork in case anything should happen. I have some things for Beth, letters and stuff, and things for you. You never know what's going to happen," he shrugged, rocking his hips from side to side with hers, the blonde turning and pressing her back to his chest with a sigh, his hands slipping around her waist to hold her close, nuzzling the side of her neck.

His friends in the Air Force knew all about Quinn and Beth, knew how much they meant to him, how much he loved them and how he wanted to make them proud. He wasn't a Lima Loser like his father anymore, and he was never going back to be the guy that drifted from place to place, fucking and leaving a trail of nameless blondes behind him. Beth wouldn't have been proud to call that guy her father and so he had changed, changed into the man he had wanted to be when Quinn was pregnant.

They had both given him a reason to change.

Even if they weren't his anymore.

Quinn smiled a little at that and let her head rest back on his shoulder, closing her eyes and rubbing her ass back against the hardness she felt, his hands on her stomach sending shivers throughout her body. "Mmm," she moaned as he placed gentle little kisses on her neck, his fingers stroking teasingly over her abdomen causing her to feel a rush of heat through her body, grinding back against his ass a little harder before she turned in his arms again and pulled him close to her, her hands on his cheeks. "Maybe I should visit you on base sometime, make sure you're telling your friends good things about me. Maybe I should put those pretty little nurses out there with you, in their place," she hummed, licking her lips and pressing her body into his.

"Maybe I should visit you at Yale and clear things up a little for your Professors and the rich Mommy's boys up there with you, make sure they know exactly whose girl they're messing with," he murmured against her ear, nipping her ear lobe with his teeth and smirking as she gasped and pressed closer to him, her fingers spearing through his hair as she started to grind her hips with his.

"And whose girl would that be, Puckerman?" she breathed, grazing his jaw lightly with her teeth and kissing her way to his ear, Puck's hand cupping and squeezing her ass. "Say it. I want to hear it, I want to hear you say it," she ordered, rolling her hips against his with a moan. If he was implying what she thought he was, she wanted to hear him say it to her, out loud and to her face. No more hiding behind text messages and insinuations. She wanted to hear him say it.

"Mine," he growled against her throat, pulling back to cup her cheek, tilting her face upwards to look into her eyes. "Mine," he repeated, softer this time, brushing his thumb along her lower lip gently and studying her eyes carefully, hoping that was the answer she was looking for from him.

"Yours," she agreed, smiling a little and leaning into his touch for a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head on his shoulder, smiling to see Mercedes, Santana, Tina and Rachel had claimed the microphone back from Sam and his dumb rap music. "The first time ever I saw your face," she smiled, recognising the song right away, closing her eyes and stroking her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

Quinn remembered sitting in the rafters of the auditorium when the girls had performed the song for Mr Shuester, and she had wanted nothing more than to be down there with them. They probably didn't ask her because Rachel was dating Finn and Mercedes was with Sam, and maybe in their minds those were the only guys she would've sang the song to. Or maybe that was the impression she had given to them in high school. But up in the rafters hearing them sing the song, Puck had been the one on her mind.

"The first time I saw your face, was my first day here at McKinley and I was struggling with my locker combination. The damn door wouldn't open, and then I saw the football team in their lettermen jackets. Finn was leading the group, but I only had eyes for you. I was so confused about you, about how badly I wanted you, without even knowing your name. You were so handsome, and I could see almost every girl in the hall wanted you, but I didn't care. I wanted you and as far as I was concerned, you were already mine. Your eyes were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and I think you stole my heart that day," she mumbled, his hands warm on her waist, soothing almost. "I wanted to tell you that in senior year, when I first heard this song."

Puck couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face at her words, pressing his lips to her forehead lightly and stroking her spine gently, noticing over the top of her head that they were the only people besides Marley and Ryder that were dancing to the song, catching the winks from Mercedes and Tina, and the grin from Artie. They had planned the song on purpose, the little shits.

But he wasn't mad at them, not in the least.

How could he be when Quinn was in his arms, opening up to him in ways she hadn't since Beth was born?

"The first time I saw your face, I was walking with Finn and the rest of the team. There were girls everywhere in that hallway, but I saw you, and that was it. You were coming out of Figgins' office, your arms full of books and papers. You were so beautiful, and your smile made me feel something that I'd never felt before. I suggested to the guys that we take another lap around the school and they agreed, figuring I meant for intimidation or whatever. But I just wanted to have a chance at bumping into you, and the next lap around the school, you were struggling with your locker. I couldn't understand how you were so beautiful, so perfect. I knew you were so far up the ladder that I would never get a chance with you, but I didn't care. I'd never wanted anything as bad in my life," he sighed, breathing in her perfume. It felt so good to get that off his chest to her, and not to Finn after one too many beers.

Quinn pulled back a little and smiled up at him, a happy smile, her hand so gentle against his cheek as she stared into his eyes for a long moment before leaning her head against his jaw. His arms wrapped tight around her as they swayed from side to side, and she swore in that moment that she had never felt more alive. The only way it could possibly be better was if Beth was with them, holding onto their hands and dancing with them, yelling at them for being gross, but there was nothing she could do to fix that; Shelby wouldn't return any of her calls, and every card and gift she sent was always returned unopened.

"Do you remember the first time I kissed you?" he asked against her hair, grinning at the memory.

Puck had been watching Quinn all day from the football field the first time he had kissed her. They were supposed to be concentrating on their football drills, but the only thing he could focus on was Quinn and the way she flew through the air like some sort if angel as she was tossed into the air time and time again. His angel. She had only been the head cheerleader for a day or so, and believe him when he said he almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her in that skirt, but the cheerios were already so much better with her on the team. He had managed to catch her alone on the way back to the locker room, and he had took his chance there and then, kissing her with all he had.

"How could I forget? You told me I was a problem for you," she grumbled, pulling a face at him.

"You are a problem for me, Fabray," he chuckled, pulling a face back at her. "I remember that kiss like it was yesterday," he admitted, feeling the blonde cuddling into his chest and smiling a little at the thumbs up Santana gave him.

He wasn't sure he would ever be able to forget their first kiss, or the feelings it had woken up inside of him. A kiss had never felt like that before, and he swore he had seen their future right there in his mind as her lips moved with his. All he knew was that after that kiss, he would find a way to make Quinn his, for as long as she would let him have her.

Of course, Finn had swooped in the day after and the rest was history.

"Me too. You made me feel loved and beautiful, and sexy," she whispered against his chest, stroking her fingers through his hair. She wasn't going to tell him that she had seen a future with him just from one kiss.

But Santana had swooped in, and she had lost her chance at being with him.

For a few months, at least.

"I wanted to dance with you like this at prom, but Finn was always there to steal you away," Puck pouted, lifting one of his hands from her hips to cradle her cheek, Quinn's breath warming his lips as she sighed and flung her arm around his neck and pulled him in close to her, brushing her lips against his and nudging his nose a little.

"Finn never wanted me, you know that," Quinn breathed, shrugging and blinking her eyes open, licking her lips and looking up at him. "And I never wanted him, either. Not like I wanted you. Not like I w_ant _you," she admitted, brushing her thumb over his lower lip, her walls having disappeared as soon as he had come to her rescue with her back. "I wanted to dance with you at prom, too. I was just too stubborn to admit it," she snorted, pulling a face at herself.

"Finn was my brother, and I love him, but man was he stupid not to want you, not to love you. We talked it all out a week or so before he died, what had happened with you and Beth and Rachel and all of that. He knew, Q. He knew you were never just another hook up to me," he murmured, kissing her thumb lightly as she brushed it over his lips again, her eyes sparkling when she looked back up at him. "Finn knew how much I want you, how much I've always wanted you. He forgave us, Q. We saved him."

Quinn smiled and nodded her head, slipping her arms around his neck to pull him close to her, kissing his neck lightly and cuddling into him. "Rachel was his soul mate," she mumbled with a smile, closing her eyes against the smug smile Mercedes sent her way.

"Finn was hers, too," he agreed, kissing her hair lightly, simply arching his eyebrow at Artie who gave him a thumbs up. "I know who my soul mate is, too. I didn't really believe in all that stuff, I guess after what happened with my Mom and Dad. But I've been thinking about it a lot overseas, and I think maybe I knew right from the start. Maybe that's why I did things the way that I did," he mused, Quinn peering up at him curiously, clearly interested in what he was going to say to her.

"I'm listening," she urged, keeping her eyes on his.

"I love you," he told her, taking her face in both his hands, her eyes widening a little, clearly not expecting those to be the words that left his lips. "You're my soul mate, Q. Always have been, and I figured that out whilst I was in Iraq. I knew from the moment I saw you the first day of school after you transferred, I knew I had to have you. I didn't understand it then, but I do now. I understand now why I had to have that one night with you, even though you were my best friend's girlfriend. You're my soul mate, Q. The thought of you and Beth, it got me through some tough spots out there, and I know its probably selfish of me to tell you all this now, but I love you, Quinn," he murmured, offering her his trade mark half smirk as he stroked his thumb over her cheek.

"You wouldn't want me, not now. I'm damaged goods,. I'm not the perfect little cheerleader I used to be, the one you wanted so badly," she muttered, dropping her head a little and sighing, rubbing her hand over his heart. His heart was too pure to love a heart like hers, to want a heart like hers.

"You're wrong, Quinn. The head cheerleader, that was never you, just like the guy that threw Kurt in the dumpster was never me. They were walls, pretences, fronts we put up to pretend that we were strong. This is you, Q. You're the woman that I love, my soul mate. You're not damaged, baby you never were. I love you," he smiled, stroking her cheek and tucking her hair behind her ear.

The glee club were watching them from the corner of their eyes, they both knew that, and they knew that Santana was most likely upping the odds on her bets with the rest of the glee club to hold over their heads after tonight. The Latina would most likely never let it drop, but he didn't care. Finn had shown him what it meant to be a man, and letting the love of his life slip through his fingers yet again was not being a man.

Quinn was his soul mate.

And hopefully, he was hers, too.

Quinn sighed a little and covered his hand with hers on her cheek, turning her head a little to kiss his wrist lightly, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening her eyes again to look up into his. "I love you, too. I should've told you that after Beth was born. I love you," she breathed, pulling him to her as he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her in, crushing their lips together.

She clutched his hair as his tongue swept along her lower lip, his hand slipping down her back to grip and squeeze her ass, pressing her closer to him as she parted her lips and let his tongue thrust its way into her mouth. Puck swallowed the moan she let out as he explored her mouth greedily, Quinn pressing her body closer to his and tugging at his hair, moaning again as she thrust her tongue against his, battling her way into his mouth and groaning at his taste. He tasted like a mixture of coca cola, mint and a huskiness that she decided was pure Puck.

"We should get out of here," Quinn panted as she wrenched her lips from his, her fingers locked in his hair, pressing her body closer to his, feeling exactly how much he had enjoyed their kisses and grinding her hips into him, groaning and pressing her lips back to his. She didn't care who was watching them; all she cared about was getting out of the school and falling into the nearest bed with Puck.

Puck nodded and broke the kiss, taking her hand in his and leading her towards the exit, the blonde locking their fingers together and hurrying alongside him. The glee club had most likely been watching them the whole night, so neither of them bothered giving an excuse as to where they were going, or confirming they were leaving to do exactly what Santana had betted on at the beginning of the night.

"Make sure you wrap it!" Santana yelled after them, high fiving Mercedes as the doors closed behind the couple.

* * *

><p>Quinn moaned as they stumbled through the door of the hotel room she had booked, thrusting her tongue into his mouth as he kicked the door shut, gripping his collar as they moved blindly towards the bed. Puck gripped the back of Quinn's dress and ripped it open, not bothering to find the tiny golden zipper, yanking the fabric up around her waist and swallowing her moan as they fell onto the bed, tugging her thigh around him. Her hands gripped at his blazer and tugged frantically at it as she threw her head back and moaned, Puck taking the opportunity to attack her neck with hungry kisses, her eyes rolling back into her head as he suckled at her pulse point.<p>

"Take your clothes off, before I rip them off," Quinn growled, whimpering as he brushed his fingers up the inside of her thigh, arching her back and gasping as he gripped the front of her dress and ripped it in half like had with the back, tossing the pink scraps of fabric aside, the blonde humming and smirking up at him as she gripped his tie and pulled him on top of her. "Or you can rip mine off," she breathed, kissing him hard and letting his tongue slip into her mouth.

Puck groaned against her lips at the feeling of her warm skin beneath him, shrugging his blazer off, as he had no doubt in his mind that Quinn would actually rip his uniform to shreds to get what she wanted, and he wasn't sure how he would explain that back at work. "New panties, Fabray? Too bad they won't last long enough to do their job," he smirked, brushing his thumb over the pretty black lace bra she was wearing.

He couldn't wait to get her out of it.

Quinn flashed him a grin before throwing him off of her and straddling him, using her hands to pin his shoulders to the bed, quirking her eyebrow at him and grinding her hips down against the hardness she felt beneath her, ripping his shirt open and kissing him roughly. "Oh, I think they're doing their job," she purred, pulling back from his lips and watching his eyes darken as he eyed her body hungrily, his hands sliding up her sides to cup and squeeze her breasts. "Mmm, off. Take it off," she ordered breathlessly, letting her head fall back as he kneaded her breasts through her bra.

"Yes, ma'am," he teased, finding the clasp of her bra and flicking it open, his mouth going dry as she threw the black lace aside, the perfectly round globes of her breasts spilling into his hands. "You're so fucking beautiful," he groaned, rolling onto her and kissing her hard, shrugging his shirt away as he thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, teasing her by lightly drawing his finger in a circle around her breast.

"Puck," she moaned, arching her back at him again, sighing as his lips travelled down her jaw to her neck, gripping his bare back as he kissed his way down her throat to her collarbone, his hands running teasingly up her sides and causing her to squirm beneath him.

Puck grinned against her collarbone and drew his tongue along it before moving on down her chest, kissing the patch of skin between her breasts and smirking up at her as she thrust her fingers into his hair. His hand cupped her breast whilst the other trailed down her flat stomach, blowing a stream of cool air against her pouting nipple as he stroked his finger along the damp strip of her lacy thong, the blonde whimpering and rolling her hips up at him.

"Mmm, God, you're so wet," he mumbled against the swell of her breast, burying his hand into her panties and running his fingers through her soaked folds, sucking her hardened nipple into his mouth with a groan, his finger brushing over her clit and causing Quinn to moan his name loudly as she clutched him to her breast.

"_Yes_," she sighed, spreading her legs a little wider for him, biting hard on her lower lip as he thrust his fingers through her folds, rubbing his fingertips against her entrance as he licked and sucked at her nipple, making sure to hit the palm of his hand against her clit every time she rocked her hips up at him. "Oh God, Puck, please," she whined, forcing her heavy eyes open and rocking her hips faster, slamming her clit against the palm of his hand as much as she could stand to. It felt so good to have him touching her like this again, so _right_.

Puck groaned a little at how breathless and husky her voice had become, feeling himself harden a little more, rubbing his fingers through her soaking wet folds again before drawing them back and pinching her clit, loving the high pitched cry she let out before removing his hand from her panties. "Mmm," he groaned, lifting his fingers to his lips to taste her, the blonde letting out a whimper as she watched him clean the taste of her from his fingers. "You're so fucking beautiful," he told her yet again, kissing her hard and letting her taste herself slightly on his tongue, his fingers finding and tugging at her panties.

"I want you so bad," she breathed against his lips, whining as he pulled away, watching him tug her ruined thong down her legs, the black lace landing somewhere in the room as he tossed it aside. She couldn't help but blush a little as his eyes roamed her naked body, moving her hands to cover the few faint stretch marks left on her stomach from carrying their daughter.

"Don't," he muttered, shaking his head and snatching her hands from her stomach, pinning them down against the bed. "These marks are beautiful, Quinn. They're the proof that you carried our perfect thing inside of you, and you have no idea how sexy that is. No one else will ever come close to comparing to how gorgeous you are," he murmured, kissing each mark on her stomach lovingly.

"Mine," she whispered tearfully, reaching down to brush her fingers along his cheek gently.

"Yours," he nodded, kissing her stomach again before moving down her abdomen, Quinn's head falling back against the pillows as she realised what he was aiming to do to her, what she couldn't wait for him to do to her. His hands ran up the inside of her thighs before spreading them wide open around his head, licking his lips as he moved his lips to her thigh, kissing and sucking at the smooth skin there, licking up the dampness there whilst she whimpered and gripped the sheets.

"No, no teasing," she panted, running a hand down her body to grip his hair, trying to push his head to where she wanted it, brushing the fingers of her other hand across her breast with a sigh. "Tell me," she breathed, her eyes closing as his tongue teased the crease between her inner thigh and her pussy, "tell me one more time."

Puck froze a little and looked up her body, past her heaving breasts to her face, admiring the closed eyes and lip parted look of pleasure on her face. Her words had sent him right back in time to the night they had made their perfect thing, and he knew she was most likely thinking of that night, too. The night they had made Beth and she had asked him to tell her what she wanted to hear, he had chickened out of telling her what he wanted to tell her, instead telling her yet again that she wasn't fat and telling her he loved her in Hebrew against her neck as he made love to her.

"I love you," he murmured, stroking his thumb gently over her thigh, Quinn letting out a sigh, a smile tugging at her lips as she opened her eyes and looked down her body to where he was between her legs.

"I love you, too," she smiled, her eyes sparkling happily as she reached down her body and found his hand on her hip, intertwining their fingers and squeezing his hand. She didn't need to tell him that she loved him, but in that moment she wanted him to hear that she did, instead of trying to show him that through kisses and gentle touches. "Puck!" she cried as he swept his tongue through her wetness, her body bucking up from the bed, his hands keeping her hips down as he wasted no time in diving right in, licking furiously at her folds. "Oh God," she groaned, throwing her head back against the pillows and tugging on the bed sheets, not bothering to control the sounds coming out of her mouth.

Puck groaned against her as he watched her writhe amongst the sheets, swirling his tongue around her swollen clit before sucking it into his mouth, flicking the little bud with his tongue as he brought his hand up her wet thigh, tapping her entrance with his finger tip and savouring the loud moan of his name that she let out. "Mmm, God I love you," he mumbled, easing a finger inside of her, the blonde gasping and clutching at his hair as her hips rocked up desperately at him.

"Please, please," she panted, trying her hardest to hump his face and find her release, whining as he slipped another finger into her. "I want you," she breathed, trying to pull him away from her as she felt her lower stomach start to tighten, her legs beginning to turn to jelly already. "I want you to fuck me," she moaned, tugging on his hair as he thrust his fingers deep inside of her, letting out a sigh when he pulled them out of her.

"No," he answered, shaking his head and moving back up her body, kissing his way over her breasts and dropping a kiss on her lips, the blonde thrusting her tongue between his lips as she yanked his pants open. "You're not just another fuck to me," he told her, looking into her dark eyes, seeing the love and lust that shone there for him, leaning in to kiss her again, brushing his fingers down her cheek.

"Tell me again," she ordered breathlessly, managing to get his pants down to his knees with her feet, thrusting her hand between them and moaning as she freed his erection from his boxers, wrapping her fingers around it and stroking her thumb over the tip, Puck groaning against her neck.

"I love you, Lucy Quinn Fabray," he murmured, kissing beneath her ear lightly, squeezing her breast a little as she started to pump his dick, kissing her with all the passion and feeling he could muster, rocking his hips into her hand as she kissed him back her fingers spearing through his hair and tugging to pull him away from her mouth.

"Then make love to me," she whispered, squeezing his dick a little and whimpering as his fingers dragged through her wetness, "now."

Puck kissed her again before ridding himself of his pants and boxers, gently spreading her legs open for him and guiding himself to her entrance, grinding against her and watching her face twist in pleasure as the head of his dick bumped up against her clit. "Protection," he mumbled against her lips, her small hands feeling amazing as they ran up his back, gripping onto his side and the back of his neck.

"I'm on the pill," she sighed, running her tongue along his lower lip and thrusting her hips up at him. brushing little circles into his side with her fingertips as she studied his eyes carefully, flashing him a reassuring smile to show him she wanted this as much as he did. Maybe more. "I love you, Noah," she whispered, using the hand on his neck to pull his lips to hers.

"I love you," he murmured, before gently pushing his hips forward, groaning as he sank into her, her walls clenching tight around him as she gasped his name, her nails digging into his back as he pushed deeper and deeper into her. Being with Quinn this way felt like he was coming home, like he had found the one place in the world that he belonged, the woman that he needed to spend the rest of his life with. "Are you ok?" he asked, cupping her cheek in his hand as he filled her completely with himself, her lower lip stuck between her teeth.

"Mmm," she nodded, licking her lips and opening her eyes, wrapping her legs around his waist and moaning as she pushed him a little deeper. "So good," she breathed, rolling her hips a little, "I missed this, missed you." Having him inside of her, stretching and filling her so perfectly made her feel as if she had been out in the woods, lost and alone, and she had finally found her way back home. Puck was her person, the only man that ever made her feel alive.

"Me too," he smiled, brushing his thumb over her lip before he started to move inside her, groaning and gripping her thigh as she held on tight to his back, moaning into his ear as he found a rhythm, slamming into her and grunting her name as their hips moved together, the bed moving with them, the headboard knocking against the wall with every thrust into her.

"Yes, right there, baby," she gasped, digging her nails into his back and throwing her head back, moaning as his lips found her neck. "Faster," she moaned, tightening her hold on him as he moved faster, their hips slamming together frantically.

"I'm sorry, Q. Its been so long," he groaned against her throat, gripping her hips tighter. It had been so long since he had slept with someone what with being occupied with the Air Force, and being with Quinn again of all people was driving him to the end faster than he could remember. She felt so soft in his hands, her skin so sweet against his lips, and her sounds were music to his ears. He had been dreaming of being with Quinn again for longer than he cared to think about, dreaming of getting to show her that he loved her and reality beat every single one of his fantasies. "God, you feel fucking amazing," he mumbled, kissing her hard, the blonde's arms winding tight around his neck, her moans vibrating against his lips and her breasts bouncing against his chest as they moved together.

"I'm so close, I'm right there with you," she panted, crying out as he thrust his hand between them and rubbed tight circles against her clit, her back arching up from the bed, her hands slipping a little on his sweaty back. "Fuck," she whimpered as he started to hit the right spot inside with every thrust inside of her, picking up speed to the point where she saw black spots begin to appear in her vision, "mmm."

"Come for me, Q," he grunted, wiggling his finger faster against her clit as he pounded into her, watching her mouth drop open and her eyes squeeze shut as her nails dug deep into his back. "Come on, baby. I know you're there," he mumbled, feeling her walls rippling along him, sweat glistening on her breasts. He was mesmerised by her and how flawless she was, how perfectly made she was. And he wasn't going to let her go this time. She was his soul mate, and he was going to do everything in his power to make her see that.

"One more time," she gasped, trying her best to wait for him and finding it almost impossible to do so. After spending countless cold nights alone in New Haven craving his touch, wishing he was there to keep her warm and longing for his kisses, being with him again in reality was too much for her.

She just hoped this wasn't where their storyline ended.

"I love you," he told her, thrusting as deep into her as she could take and kissing her breast, feeling it as she came hard for him.

Quinn wasn't able to stop herself from screaming out his name as she fell apart under him, scratching her nails down his back as she threw her head back, letting the pleasure roll over her in waves, her eyes rolling back into her head as he helped her ride it out, her body bucking and writhing amongst the ruined sheets. She felt as though she was flying, forcing her eyes open to see the look on his face as she felt him start to pulse inside her, her vision blurring as her body jerked.

"I love you, too," she managed to get out, and that was all Puck needed before he fell over the edge too, slamming their hips tight together and grunting her name loudly as he shot his release deep into her, collapsing down against her heaving breasts as he filled her, the room filled with the sound of their pants and gasps for air.

He figured he was probably crushing her tiny body, so he rolled onto his back and pulled her into his side, their bodies glistening under the light with sweat.

"That was...wow," Quinn breathed, sprawling out on his chest, running her hand over his sweaty chest and blushing, peering up at him and smiling to see he was already looking at her, his fingers tracing patterns gently into her bare back. She felt so soothed and so alive lying there in his arms, and she had missed the feeling of safety and comfort that he gave to her.

She wasn't going to let him go.

Not again.

"It always is with you," Puck replied honestly, turning his head to press a kiss to her forehead, feeling her smile against his chest. It was true; sex was meaningless to him if it wasn't with Quinn. It was just fucking, a meaningless way to get his rocks off and try to forget her, try to move on from her. But it never worked, and he had admitted that in the Air Force to his friend Joseph, who had then encouraged him to try to win Quinn's heart for good.

Hopefully after tonight, he had finally succeeded.

"Its only ever been you, you know that, right?" she asked, pushing up a little on her elbows so she was leant over him, licking her lips nervously. "There's never been anyone else for me, no other lovers. Just you, _only _you," she murmured, smiling a little and stroking his cheek with her thumb as she watched the recognition of her words slowly light up his eyes.

"But your Professor? You-"

"Lied. I lied," she whispered, straddling him and resting her forehead against his, humming a little as his fingers brushed up her side lightly. "I told Santana that I was sleeping with my teacher, because I knew she would tell you and I wanted to make you jealous. I overheard you telling your brother about all the girls you'd been with out in Los Angeles and-"

"One. There was one, and that was only because she reminded me of you. I might have exaggerated just a little when I noticed that you were listening," he shrugged, smirking at the look on her face, stealing a quick kiss from her and keeping her close to him, nudging her ear with his lips. "I love that no one else has touched you, loved you like I do," he murmured, his voice low as he traced the outline of her breast with his finger, the blonde shivering on top of him.

"Well, there was a drunken thing with Santana the night of Mr Shue's train wreck wedding, but I don't count her as a lover. I was drunk, and lonely, and she made me feel good," she breathed, guiding his hand to cover her breast, giggling at the look of surprise and interest that crossed his face, dropping a kiss on his lips before climbing off of him and stretching her arms above her head as she walked towards the bathroom.

Puck watched her as she moved, licking his lips absently.

How had he managed to even get a second glance from her?

"What are you thinking about?" Quinn asked, coming out of the bathroom with a robe in her hands, singing under her breath a little as she walked, distracting herself from the very serious conversation they needed to have soon, eyeing the slightly vacant look in his eyes as he laid still where he was. Was he regretting what they had done, already?

Was he trying to think of an excuse to use to leave?

"I was thinking about how much I love hearing you sing," Puck smiled, reaching for her as she reached the bed and pulling her back down into his arms, shaking his head and laughing as she blushed. "You think this thing is big enough for both of us?" he mused, nodding at the fairly small double bed they were sprawled out in, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

"Mmhmm," she nodded, stretching up to kiss his lips before pulling away from him and pulling her robe on, leaving it untied, much to his approval. "But if we have to sleep real close to each other tonight, I don't mind," she smirked, grabbing the TV remote from the bedside table and turning the TV on, turning in his arms and humming a little as he brushed his fingers over her hands. His touch was so soothing, and she could almost physically feel the tension leaving her tired body.

"I missed this," he murmured as he drew her back to sit between his legs, her back against his chest. "How are you feeling?" he asked, dropping a kiss on her shoulder as he felt her relax against him with a happy sigh. He was always worried after they slept together that he had hurt her, or made her feel things she didn't want to feel. The last thing he wanted was to have pushed her into something she didn't want.

"Good," she smiled, intertwining their fingers on her stomach and hitting the mute button of the remote with her toe. "Can I ask you something?" she frowned, licking her lips and turning in his arms so she was knelt between his legs and facing him, biting her lip as she let her eyes wander about his bare body. There was something about his tanned skin that drove her crazy.

"Anything," he answered, licking his lips absently as he stared at her breasts, before looking back up at her.

"What does this mean? I mean, we danced together, we talked about soul mates and first times. You made love to me out there, and now we're here in the bath together. Usually we have sex and one of us leaves, that's the way we usually do things. This, everything we've done tonight, does it mean something to you or are you just looking for me to warm your bed for the night?" she asked, studying his eyes carefully, making sure to not let any emotion whatsoever leak into her voice. She knew what she wanted after tonight, but as for Puck, she had no idea.

And she was far too stubborn to make the first move.

"I told you how I feel, Q. I love you, and I want to be with you, but I also don't want to push you into anything you don't want. You're it for me, the one, my soul mate. You're the only one for me, but that doesn't mean you feel the same," he shrugged, lowering his eyes to the sheets that lapped at their skin, reaching for the remote and turning the TV back on for a distraction. This was the moment where she told him that she didn't want him that way, the moment where he had to watch her leave him again and if he had to go through that, he'd rather not see it when she did leave.

"When have you ever pushed me into something? I was the one that suggested we leave together, I was the one who brought you back here to my hotel room, I was the one who told you I wanted you to make love to me," she frowned, snatching the remote back and turning off the TV, throwing the remote away so he couldn't get it back.

Puck sighed as he watched it land against the bathroom door, toying with the tie of her robe for a moment before he looked back up to her eyes, trying to read there what she wanted from him, from them. "All I know is that you're the only person in this world that I want to be with, the only person that I want to have a future with. A wedding, kids, a house, a dog, arguments over Thanksgiving dinner, vacations to Disney Land with kids screaming in the backseat. I want that with you, I see that with you. Only you," he admitted, watching her eyes mist over a little as she listened to him, a single tear falling down her cheek as she stared down at her lap for a long moment.

"I want that too, with you. Only you," Quinn sniffed, reaching out to cradle his cheek, drawing his lips to his. "I want to be with you," she whispered, nudging his nose with hers and brushing her lower lip against his, feeling his hands on her hips pulling her closer to him.

"I want to be with you, too," Puck murmured, before kissing her hard, letting her tongue push its way into his mouth and swallowing her moan as he rolled onto her, pushing her robe apart as she hooked her leg around his waist, the two gripping at each other as they kissed passionately. Quinn threw her robe off and wrapped her arms tight around his neck as he entered her again, their face close as they sealed their love the way they did best.

She was his, and he was hers.

And that was the way it was meant to be.

* * *

><p><em>This is me praying that:<em>

_This was the very first page, not where the storyline_

_ends._

_Please don't be in love with _

_someone else._

_Please don't have somebody waiting on you._

* * *

><p><strong><em>I have no idea why this chapter is like 12k words but oh well, hopefully it kinda makes up for the update wait? I swear I'll get back to updating regularly now that Christmas is out of the way. Thank you, you wonderful people who have been encouraging me to get my head out my ass and update. I love youuuu.<em>**

**_Lyrics used: Taylor Swift- Enchanted. _**

**_Thank you for reading and leave a review if you feel like it? HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! :D_**


	5. Bad Blood

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Unfortunately. **_

_**A/N: glee is back tonight! (This probably won't even be updated until after glee has aired but hey.) I'm excited for Quick and the unholy trinity, but not so excited for the Blaine and Berry show that the first half will be. I love Rachel but jeez, I'd like to see the other characters for once too. And newbies. Again. Not excited for them. At all. Buuuuuut, its the last season so I can't not watch it. **_

_**Thank you all for the sweet reviews last chapter, especially to guest, autumn1999, miss agron, olacindy and BMontague. I'm glad the flashback chapter situation went down well. **_

_**Lastly, I have mock week starting on the 26th so if updates are slow around that time, that's why. I'm trying to get my muse back for my other stories as well as this one.**_

_**:)**_

* * *

><p><em>Did you have to do this?<em>

_I was thinking that you could be trusted._

_Did you have to ruin, _

_what was shining, now its all rusty._

_Did you have to hit me?_

_Where I'm weak, baby, I couldn't breathe._

_Rubbed it in so deep,_

_salt in the wound like you're laughing right at me._

_..._

_Oh, its so sad to think about the good times,_

_you and I._

_Cause baby, now we got bad blood._

_You know it used to be_

_mad love._

_So take a look what you've done,_

_cause baby now we got_

_ bad blood._

_..._

* * *

><p>Quinn screamed and shot up in her bed, clutching at her chest as she panted for air, looking frantically around to see she was safe. In her bedroom. At home. The red neon numbers coming from the clock on her bedside table told her it was barely two in the morning, the blonde closing her eyes and sighing before slumping back against her pillows and rubbing a hand over her sweaty face.<p>

The nightmares were beginning to plague her mind whenever she closed her eyes and quite frankly, she was sick of it. She was sick of the brown eyes that stared at her in hatred and accusation in her nightmares whilst she ran circles in that god damn forest. Quinn wished for the life of her that she could forget those eyes, wished the guilt would stop weighing down on her. The nightmares wouldn't leave her, no matter what she did, sleeping pills included.

Santana had suggested she seek out professional help for them, but she had immediately refused. She wasn't ill, she didn't need to see a therapist who would dig about in her mind and bring back feelings and events that she wanted to keep firmly buried in her past. No. This was her problem, and she would solve it herself, just as she had always done. As much as she hated to admit it, she was weak. She was too weak to ask for help with her problems and instead preferred to try to come to terms with them herself.

Or run from them.

That seemed like a good game plan.

Quinn sighed and rolled over onto her stomach, rubbing at her eyes and staring out at the darkness of her bedroom, reaching out blindly to turn the lamp on. She almost had a heart attack when the light from the lamp showed there were tiny little feet at her doorway, but the sweet little hazel eyes that were peering at her from behind the door had her heart swelling with love. Beth was there with her, her perfect thing, her little girl. There was nothing in the world that she would let destroy having her child back.

"Beth?" Quinn asked, frowning as more of her daughter's face came into view as she stepped out a little from behind the door, the light shining on what looked like tear streaked cheeks. "Baby, what's wrong?" she frowned, sitting up in bed and moving the covers away, her fingers itching to grasp the baseball bat she kept between her bed and the bedside table.

Something wasn't right.

"I woke up from bad dreams and I didn't know where I was," Beth sniffled, clasping the teddy bear she had found under her pillows to her nose and studying the blonde carefully. She had woken up all alone in a strange bedroom, but she had remembered Quinn was there too and that she was supposedly her mother, so she figured Quinn was her best bet on a safe place. "Did I wake you up from good dreams?" she asked after a second, worried Quinn would be angry with her for waking her up so late.

Or early.

Beth wasn't so sure what the time was.

"No, no. Don't worry about coming to me, ok? Do you want to talk about your bad dream?" Quinn asked gently, patting the empty space in the bed beside her.

Beth shot her a distrusting look as she eyed Quinn's bed with a raised eyebrow, glancing around her bedroom and pursing her lips a little, her fingers tightening around the teddy bear she was clinging to. Quinn sighed heavily as she picked up on her baby's discomfort, rubbing her face. Her daughter had just woken up afraid in a new bedroom, and here she was suggesting Beth climb into yet another new bed and talk to a new mother she couldn't remember ever meeting before yesterday.

She was blowing this already.

But before she had chance to apologise for pushing her baby into something, Beth pushed away from the doorway and stepped into Quinn's bedroom, looking around her and curling her toes in the fluffy black rug that covered a large part of the wooden flooring. The little blonde took another step forward, before running quickly to Quinn's bed and tossing her teddy onto it, scrambling up onto the huge bed and dropping down onto her butt beside Quinn, stuffing her toes under the blankets to keep them warm.

"I like your room. Its pretty," Beth mumbled, her voice muffled by the fur of the teddy bear that she was partially hiding behind, glancing up at the woman beside her who was looking at her as if she was a present on Christmas morning.

Did Quinn really like her that much?

"Is that me?" She asked, pointing a finger at the picture frame on the nightstand, leaning a little closer to see it better. There was a younger looking Quinn in a hospital bed and her Daddy stood next to it, both of them smiling down at a baby in a pink blanket. It must be her, right? Unless Quinn had other babies she hasn't met yet.

"That's you. You were only a few minutes old when my Mom took that picture. You didn't cry at all, just led there in my arms staring at me as if you knew who I was already. You were so tiny, and the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen," Quinn smiled proudly, picking the picture up and holding it for Beth to see, her little girl studying the picture carefully, pressing a finger to the picture and smiling a little.

"You look real happy, Quinnie," she whispered with a smile, brushing her fingers over her mother's smiling face in the picture, glad to see that she had been happy when she was born. "If you were super happy, why'd I have to go away?" She frowned, looking up at Quinn who sighed a little. It was still a little confusing to her why Quinn couldn't have married Daddy and then she could have lived with them if they were so happy to see her.

"I was happy. That's the happiest day of my life, that and yesterday, when I got you back. You make me happy, Beth. I wasn't good enough for you, you deserved a better mother than me, and I did my best to give you that. I hated every day that I was apart from you, but I did what was best for you, no matter how much I regretted it," Quinn murmured, tucking a curl behind Beth's tiny ear, smiling a little at how beautiful her daughter was.

Beth was silent for a moment, her lips pursed thoughtfully, and the teddy bear clasped to her chest, wiggling her toes under the covers before looking back up at Quinn and flashing her a small smile.

It was small, but it was there, and Quinn treasured it.

"Well, I think you're good," Beth told her, before lying down in the huge bed and curling up, letting out a sleepy yawn and hugging her teddy tighter to her chest, closing her eyes and shifting a little. Quinn's bed smelt like cookies and vanilla, much like the blonde had last night when she carried her to the car from the hospital. It was a good smell, she decided, and maybe Quinn wasn't so bad, either.

Quinn smiled happily at that and led down beside her daughter, making sure she was tucked in and kept warm with the blankets before turning the lamp out, Beth already fast asleep next to her. She was perfect in every way, right down to her pink little rosebud lips, and she amazed her mother to no end that this beautiful little girl was the pink bundle they'd placed in her arms six years ago.

She wasn't good enough for her pink bundle.

But she would make sure she was good enough for Beth.

* * *

><p>"Quinn," Beth whispered a few hours later, shaking the sleeping blonde's shoulder a little to try to wake her up, frowning and leaning over her, pressing her fingers to her cheek. "Quinnie, wake up," she urged, rocking her body with her little hands, Quinn making a groaning sound before her eyes finally opened, staring up at her with the exact same hazel eyes as her own.<p>

"What is it, Beth?" Quinn yawned, rubbing her eyes and rolling onto her back, pushing up on her elbows a little to study her daughter's face carefully.

"I need to pee and I don't know where the toilet is," she whined, pressing her hands to her stomach and groaning dramatically. "It feels like I got a full up water balloon sitting in here, I'm gonna burst," she added, bouncing on her knees a little and wiggling her hips, Quinn eyeing her for a moment before bursting into fits of laughter. "Come on, Quinnie, I need to take a leak!"

Quinn roared with laughter at the look on her daughter's face, clutching her stomach and throwing her head back, Beth scowling at her. "Its right through there," she laughed, pointing at the door across her room that lead to her bathroom, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I thought you were 'sposed to be a grown up," Beth sighed, shaking her head at her mother which sent her into another laughing fit, rolling her eyes at her and jumping down from the bed, running to Quinn's bathroom and pushing the door open. The bathroom was pretty big for an en suite, with a shower in the corner beside the counter that held a large sink, and a bathtub to her right that took up most of the wall. Beth decided she liked it, grinning and curling her toes in the fluffy white rug.

Quinn wiped beneath her eyes before getting out of bed and putting her blankets back into place, the smile not leaving her face as she heard Beth singing nursery rhymes as she washed her hands. Her baby definitely had Puck's sense of humour, and she couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy, or the last time her heart had felt so whole and full.

"Your soap smells real good," Beth commented as she came out of the bathroom, Quinn snorting as she glanced up from her drawers to see Beth was quite literally smelling her hands and grinning widely at her.

"I'm glad my soap has your approval, sweetheart," Quinn smiled, shaking her head and opening the doors of her wardrobe, rifling through until she found a simple white dress, grabbing a beige coloured cardigan to go with it. Beth had only really seen her in a blazer in the time she'd had her back, and she hoped her usual clothing would show Beth that she was a good person, a good mother. "I was thinking we could head to the mall after breakfast and buy you some new things for your room, seeing as you don't have anything here yet," she suggested, looking over her shoulder to see Beth was busy looking at the pictures on her dresser, quickly shrugging off her sleep shirt and slipping into her dress.

"Does that mean I get new toys? Cause I don't have any toys here and you don't want me to combust from being real bored, do you?" Beth asked, turning and batting her eyelashes at the blonde who sniggered and pulled a cardigan on. She looked pretty in her pretty dress, but she wasn't going to say so. Or maybe she should, and then Quinn would buy her more toys at the mall. "I like your pretty dress," she added, flashing her a grin, batting her eyes yet again.

"Beth, where on earth did you learn what the word 'combust' means?" Quinn laughed, grabbing a hairbrush and running it quickly through her hair. She had cut her hair short again after leaving Puck, in what Santana had called her crazy breakdown 2.0 when she'd seen what Quinn had done to her hair. Although she liked it short, she was glad that it had grown out again and was now just below her collarbone.

"There," Beth shrugged, jabbing Quinn's word of the day calendar with her finger. "So is that a yes on the toys?" she smirked, arching her brow at Quinn who smiled at her and gestured for her to follow her down the hall to her own room.

"That depends on whether or not you get dressed without throwing a tantrum," Quinn replied with a wink, Beth grumbling under her breath and trudging after her, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling when Quinn pulled a white dress from the backpack they had brought home from the hospital with them. Trust the older blonde to pick the dress with the stupid pink lambs on the bottom.

Beth scowled as Quinn crouched down before her, grasping her shoulder and pulling her ear to her lips, eyeing the dress in disgust.

"I want the biggest dang Barbie castle money can buy if I have to wear _that._"

* * *

><p>Quinn hummed absently as she moved about the kitchen gathering fruit and chocolate chips to add to the pancakes she had made for herself and Beth, grabbing a can of whipped cream and a tub of rainbow sprinkles. She wanted to make the best possible impression on her daughter whilst she could, and even if she didn't completely agree with chocolate chips for breakfast, she figured she could make an exception seeing as it was what Beth had asked for.<p>

Beth on the other hand was sat silently at the table, swinging her legs back and forth and watching Quinn like a hawk as she made their breakfasts. Sitting in Quinn's kitchen, watching Quinn make their breakfast, whilst she wore the dress Quinn had chosen out of her bag had the realisation that this was real, sinking in real quick. This wasn't a one night sleepover kind of thing, it was permanent. Quinn was her mother now, and this was her new home.

"There we go, chocolate chip pancakes and strawberries, just like you wanted," Quinn smiled, setting the plate down in front of her daughter who stared at her for a moment before looking down at her breakfast and pushing it away from her with a scowl.

"You put whipped cream on it. I don't like that," Beth muttered, thrusting her hands into her lap and keeping them there, swinging her legs back and forth a little faster. She wasn't so sure she liked being here with Quinn full time. She didn't even know her before yesterday, and now she was living with her? It was weird and she felt real funny in her belly.

"Oh," Quinn frowned, her smile dropping off her face. "We can swap," she suggested, gesturing to her own plate that she hadn't put cream on. She hadn't thought of the possibility that Beth wouldn't like whipped cream, and she already felt like a failure, and she hadn't even had Beth for a day yet.

Beth shrugged in response and picked up her fork, twirling it between her fingers and watching Quinn swap their plates around before she sat down across from her to eat. Quinn looked just like her, blonde hair and hazel eyes, but she didn't think of the blonde as being her mother. And this house wasn't home. She had never even lived in a house before, and was used to apartments like the ones she and her Mom had had over the past few years.

"You need to eat something, sweetheart. You'll feel sick if you don't," Quinn murmured gently, studying her little girl carefully. She already looked a little sick, and she wouldn't even touch her food. Maybe she should call Beth's doctors and make sure Beth was really ok to have left the hospital so soon. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to be sick or hurting.

"I'm not hungry," Beth grumbled, putting her fork back down on the table and leaning back in her seat, arching her brow at Quinn who sighed heavily.

"Look, I know this has got to be weird for you being in a new home, with someone you only met yesterday, and I know you're probably scared of all the big changes that have happened but you need to eat something. We'll go to the mall and get you some new things, and you can pick out paint and decorations for your bedroom, but you need to eat your breakfast first," Quinn sighed, pushing the plate back towards her daughter, Beth rolling her eyes at her but stuffing a strawberry into her mouth anyway.

"Where's Daddy?" Beth asked, ignoring Quinn's flinch at the title. "Did he go to work real early? I didn't see him in your room," she frowned, twisting in her seat and looking around to see if she could spot her Dad. He was here last night, so he must have gone to work early.

"Uh, no. I'll call him, but you have to eat your breakfast up," Quinn told her, ignoring the hurt she felt that Puck had already earned the title of 'Daddy' without even doing much. Beth wouldn't even eat her breakfast for her, let alone call her Mommy. It hurt even more when Beth immediately started eating her pancakes, the little blonde grabbing the can of whipped cream and adding it to her food as she ate, Quinn pinching the bridge of her nose hard as she left the room.

So much for not liking cream.

She just didn't like her, instead.

Quinn let out a long, calming breath and found her cell phone from her coat pocket, dialling Puck's number and praying it was actually still the same number. Maybe Beth would be better behaved for her if she saw that she was trying. Puck had always been better with their daughter than she had, anyway. And that hurt like a bitch, too.

"Hello?" Puck asked, confusion evident in his voice. Maybe he had deleted her number. Or maybe he was confused as to why she was calling him this early in the day.

"Puck, its Quinn. Look, Beth wants to see you, and the only reason she's actually eating her breakfast for me is because I told her that I would call you," Quinn sighed, rolling her eyes and heading back into the kitchen to see Beth had finished her pancakes already, and was now stealing strawberries from her own plate across the table.

"But we agreed-"

"I'm not inviting you over for a date and expecting you to confess your love for me, Puck. I'm calling because your daughter wants to see you. I know we agreed that I have her during the week and you have her at the weekends but that doesn't mean you can't visit her at all. We're supposed to be being mature about this, remember?" she snapped, annoyed already at the fact that Beth wasn't listening to her without the promise of seeing Puck. She didn't need him pissing her off either, grabbing a mug and filling it with black coffee.

"Fine, I'll be over soon," Puck sighed before hanging up on her, Quinn scoffing and pulling a face at her iPhone before throwing it onto the counter and sipping her coffee, ignoring the burning against her tongue and turning to see Beth had completely polished off both their breakfasts.

"Is Daddy coming home from work?" Beth asked happily, licking her lips clean of the remnants of whipped cream from breakfast, eyeing Quinn whose ears were tinged red at the top. Her own ears got red at the top when she was mad, and so she figured Quinn was probably mad. Part of her hoped she was mad at her, so she could go home already.

Quinn frowned a little at her daughter's words, before sighing as realisation sank in. Beth thought she and Puck were still together, and that the reason he wasn't there with them was because he was working. Shit. How was she supposed to explain that to her daughter who already disliked her from the looks of things. If she knew she and Puck weren't together, would she want to go live with Puck full time? Would she lose her baby again? She couldn't risk that. "Yeah, he's coming over soon," she told her with a forced smile, draining the rest of her coffee.

"Ok, I'll wait here for him," Beth shrugged, crossing her legs on her chair and taking a long gulp of the glass of milk Quinn had given her, keeping her eyes on the door. She knew her Daddy, because her Mom had shown her pictures and video clips of him singing and playing guitar to her when she was a baby. She even had a drawing somewhere at home, that Daddy had drawn for her. She didn't know Quinn; her Mom had never mentioned her, other than the fact that she'd given birth to her.

Quinn was a stranger.

"Well, how about we talk whilst we wait for him? I've missed out on a lot, and there's a lot we don't know about each other," Quinn suggested, a touch of desperation to her words. She felt so much love for her daughter that she just wanted to scoop her into her arms and never let go, but Beth clearly didn't feel anything at all for her. And she understood it; she was a glorified stranger. She just didn't understand why Puck was instantly known as Daddy.

"Cause I don't know you," Beth replied, not spitefully or hurtfully, just truthfully.

"I-"

Quinn cut off as she heard a knock at her front door, swallowing the hurt from Beth's words and excusing herself before leaving the room and heading down the hall to the front door. Pulling open the door, she saw Puck was stood on her doorstep, and she instantly had flashbacks of all the other times she had opened a door to Puck. Only back then, he would've pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless by now, rather than standing with his hands in his pocket, eyes looking anywhere but at her.

"So, where's Beth?" he asked, looking up from the floor to see Quinn was wearing a white dress and cardigan, looking much more like the Quinn he had loved that she had yesterday in her expensive blazer and pencil skirt. The only thing different about this Quinn and his Quinn was the fact that he couldn't read anything in her piercing hazel eyes.

"In the kitchen," she sighed, stepping aside to let him into her house, closing the door behind him as he moved down the hall towards her kitchen. "I'm going to take her to the mall in a minute or so to get her some stuff. You can come with us if you want, I know she'll want you to," she told him, following him down the hall, biting her lip a little as she eyed his ass and how good it looked in those jeans.

"Yeah, sounds good," he replied, shrugging a shoulder and heading into the kitchen, grinning at Beth who was sat at the kitchen table. "Hey monkey face!" he grinned as the little girl's face lit up, holding his arms out for her as she jumped down from her seat and ran to him, scooping her up into a hug.

"Hi Daddy," Beth smiled, squashing his cheeks in her hands and laughing wildly as his lips puckered out like a fish, pulling a face to copy him. "Are you coming to the mall with me and Quinn?" she asked, hooking her arms around his neck, glancing at Quinn over his shoulder and frowning a little to see she was staring pointedly at the floor. "I think Quinn's real mad; her ears and cheeks are red like Rudolph," she whispered to him, nodding in the blonde's direction.

"Uh, sure, if that's alright with you and your Mom," he answered, following her glance in Quinn's direction, his smile falling just a little. He knew from the way Quinn's shoulders were hunched just a little that she wasn't mad at all. She was either trying her hardest not to cry in front of them, or she was feeling sick. Judging by the redness of her cheeks, he figured it was the former.

"Quinn," Beth corrected with a frown, wiggling to be set down on her feet again and heading back to the table to grab her milk, oblivious to the sound that left Quinn's lips.

"Quinn-" Puck started, picking up on the strangled sob that left his ex's lips, but cutting off as she quickly waved him off with her hand and swiped at her cheeks furiously.

"Beth? I'm just going to freshen up and then we'll set off," Quinn blurted, before quickly excusing herself and heading upstairs before they saw her cry, hitting speed dial as she went. Beth didn't see her as her mother at all, she had just confirmed that both to her and to Puck, and she felt both like a failure and an embarrassment. A failure because she had given birth to Beth, and the little girl felt nothing, and embarrassment because Puck of all people had heard it. And he would probably use that to dig at her at some point, like he had in the café when he had thrown Beth and Shelby in her face.

"Tubbers, how's it going? Has the lizard baby dropped any eggs in your drawers yet? Or scales? I hear they shed their shit and everything," Santana grinned as she picked up the phone, ignoring Brittany who told her not to be so mean.

"She h-hates me, S-san," Quinn sobbed, closing her bedroom door behind her and turning the lock, leaning her back against the cool wood, "She was f-fine with me last n-night but as soon as we w-went down for breakfast, she w-wouldn't even eat f-for me until I c-called Puck, who she's already c-calling D-daddy."

"Oh shit, Fabray? Are you actually crying right now? Jeez, did she steal your balls as well as your abs? Man up, you pussy! Beth's probably just nervous because she's in a new place, with a new Mom. Plus, you never know if she remembers Puck or something like that. He did see her a lot more than you did back in the dark days," Santana reminded her, pulling her face at the thought of Puck having sex with Berry's Mom. Great, now she had that horror film stuck in her brain.

"She just doesn't feel it l-like I do. I gave b-birth to her and she should at l-least feel something, r-right?" Quinn sniffed, through her tears, ignoring Santana's less than friendly comments. Beth had been so wonderful for her when she had just been born; she was the only one that the new born baby didn't scream when being held by, but that had clearly gone out of the window as soon as Shelby took her.

"Quinn, its been like what, ten hours since you got her home? Give it some time! You're both new to each other, there's bound to be some sort of friction there. You just need to get to know each other, and let her know that she's safe and loved. Once she's comfortable, she'll ease up on the whole anti-Quinn movement," Santana sighed, feeling more than a little sorry for her best friend.

"When did you get so smart?" Quinn snorted through her tears, grabbing a tissue to wipe her cheeks with, rifling through her dresser drawer to find her makeup bag to hide the redness of her eyes. She didn't want to upset Beth by going down there with eyes redder than her old cheerios uniform.

"Bitch please, I'm Santana Lopez. I'm a fucking genius and all that shit," Santana smirked, blowing on her nails.

"Something has to pay for the fake tits, I guess," Quinn teased, darkening her lashes with mascara.

"Bitch," Santana muttered, before hanging up on her, Quinn smiling a little and setting her phone back down. Maybe Santana was right for once; maybe she just needed to give Beth some time to get used to her new surroundings, and try harder to get her daughter to talk and open up to her. A knock at her bedroom door pulled her from her thoughts, Quinn checking her eyes looked as normal as they could, before unlocking and opening her bedroom door, smiling a little to see Beth was stood there waiting for her.

"I'm sorry I ate all your breakfast," Beth mumbled sheepishly, holding a banana up to Quinn who smiled a little and took the fruit from her. "Are you coming back down now?" she asked, quirking a brow at the blonde and studying her face carefully. She was pretty sure Quinn had been crying.

"That's ok, sweetheart," Quinn smiled, wanting so badly to reach out and cradle her daughter's cheek, but refraining from doing so. "Are you ready to go the mall, now?" she asked, Beth following her as she made her way down the stairs, Puck standing awkwardly by the door.

"Uh huh. I still want that Barbie castle."

* * *

><p>"Quinnie, look!" Beth shrieked, jumping up and down and pointing at the biggest Barbie castle she had ever seen, looking over her shoulder and giggling at Puck and Quinn who trudged after her, their hands weighed down by dozens of bags. Quinn had not held back at all on buying her new clothes, and she hadn't held back at all in the toy stores. Both Quinn and her Daddy had told her she could have whatever she wanted, and she was taking them at their word.<p>

"Slow down a bit, baby," Quinn breathed, struggling to keep up with her daughter who shot around the toy store like a rocket, shrieking and yelling excitedly every time she saw something she liked. She wasn't at all bothered about the amount of money they were spending on their daughter, she just wished the blonde would slow down and stop giving her a heart attack every time she left her side.

"Come on, you two are real slow," Beth giggled, hopping from foot to foot, excited to show her parents the Barbie castle she'd found. Quinn had shown her several throughout the mall, but this one was the one she wanted. It was perfect.

"That's because we're not six anymore. Then again, I think Quinn is just too slow to keep up with us, monkey face," Puck teased in response, over taking Quinn, a smile on his face. They'd been having a great time at the mall, all three of them, and it was as if nothing bad had ever happened at all within their little family.

"Hey! I could run circles around you in high school and you know it!" Quinn argued with a grin of her own, following him to where Beth was excitedly bouncing around in front of a large pink box.

"Nah, I just let you think that. I was too busy watching your ass," he smirked, winking at her and ducking out of her reach as she went to slap the back of his head, chuckling at her and checking out the box that Beth was now rocking from side to side and warbling at the top of her voice like some sort of African tribal person. Their daughter was seriously in a league of her own; she was a riot, and they were both so happy to have her back.

Quinn smiled at that and headed after him, setting the bags down on the floor as she reached Beth, crouching down to study the box that held a Barbie castle, checking out the safety regulations and the parts that came with it whilst Beth batted her eyelashes and pouted at her. "Ok, well, I think we get this and then we get out of here," Quinn breathed, looking up at Puck who nodded his agreement and reached for his wallet.

"Well, you made me let you pay for all the clothes, so let me pay for this," Puck insisted when it looked like she was going to argue, offering her a smile and lifting the box from the shelf, Beth letting out an ear splitting cheer and jumping up and down happily.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Beth yelled, clapping her hands happily and giving both her parents the biggest smile that she possibly could.

"I'm paying for dinner then, Puckerman. And I won't take no for an answer," Quinn told him, picking up the bags whilst Puck carried the castle's box towards the checkout, Beth bounding happily alongside her. There were women all over the mall that had been eyeing Puck up, and she had had to stop herself several times from cutting someone, but Puck hadn't looked away from her and Beth at all, not noticing or caring about the looks he was getting.

"Can we have pizza?" Beth asked, tugging on Quinn's sleeve to get her attention, the blonde looking down and flashing her a dazzling smile. She'd figured out by now that Quinn was very sensitive when it came to her. The simplest piece of her attention thrown in Quinn's direction would earn her a beautiful smile, and she decided she loved her birth mother's smile.

"Of course we can, sweetheart," Quinn smiled, taking Beth's hand in hers to be sure the little girl was kept by her side whilst they waited for Puck. Beth stiffened at her touch, and she tried her hardest not to be hurt when Beth pulled her hand free and shrunk away from her a little. The whole giving her baby space thing was harder for her than she thought it would be.

Quinn directed her attention to Puck instead, her stomach fluttering inside when he looked at her and smiled, giving him a smile in return as she watched him completely ignore the checkout girl's attempts at flirting with him. Maybe things were falling into place for them again, maybe she was closer to winning him back than she thought. Beth's idea of them going out for pizza meant they spent more time together as a family, and right now she would do anything to stay with Puck and Beth.

"One Barbie castle, done and done," Puck grinned as he joined them, the box tucked under his arm. "Where too now?" he asked, arching his brow at Quinn who grinned, "oh God no, no more clothes shops Quinn."

"Pizza," Quinn smiled, laughing at the look of relief on his face. She had made him come with her and Beth around all of the clothes shops, and he had acted as if she had been shooting his puppy every five seconds. Except the underwear department, he had enjoyed that part, and if he thought she hadn't seen him checking her out and eyeing every piece of underwear she bought, he was wrong.

Maybe he felt it, too.

Maybe he still wanted her, too.

"Thank God," Puck breathed, pulling a face at Quinn and grabbing Beth's hand, catching the slight look of hurt that flashed in Quinn's eyes as she eyed their joined hands, but pushing it aside for now.

The three left for pizza, as a family.

* * *

><p>"QUINNIE!" Beth shrieked, slamming her hands on the table and roaring with laughter as Quinn pulled faces at her every time the waitress came to their table. The two girls had figured out within five minutes of being in Pizza Hut that their waitress had a thing for Puck, and Beth found it hilarious when Quinn mocked her behind her back.<p>

"Twenty two years old and you're still mocking people," Puck sighed, but they could both hear the grin in his voice, shaking his head at the two hysterical blondes who were tossing balled up napkins back and forth at each other.

"Twenty two years old and you're still mocking people," Quinn mocked, sending Beth into fits of laughter again, her lemonade spurting out of her mouth and spraying all over the table, Quinn throwing her head back laughing at the sight. They were getting funny looks from almost everyone there, but neither one of them cared, Puck snapping pictures of them and trying to contain himself.

Quinn managed to contain herself long enough to stand from her seat and bend over the table to clean Beth's sauce covered cheeks with a napkin, pulling a face at her whilst Puck's attention dropped downwards to Quinn's breasts, eyeing her cleavage as she giggled, her breasts jiggling in her dress and causing his mouth to dry up very quickly. The blonde noticed right away where his eyes were and smirked to herself, stretching her arm further to flatten an imaginary piece of hair on Beth's head, giving him a better view down her dress for a moment or two before she sat back down.

"I need to spring a leak again, Daddy," Beth whispered loudly, looking to her Dad who snorted at her use of words and nodding his permission, the little girl jumping from her seat and sprinting towards the bathrooms, the new parents watching her go with amused smiles. She was a riot, but she was their riot.

"She's something else," Puck smiled proudly, taking a sip of his coke before setting it back down, smiling at Quinn whose eyes were sparkling under the light that hung above her table, her smile so bright that it dazzled him every time he looked at her. He'd almost forgotten how gorgeous she was when she was happy; she was like a beacon of light, lighting up the whole restaurant. Men and women had been eyeing her all night, but she hadn't spared anyone a second glance, her attention firmly on them and their family.

"She's perfect," Quinn beamed, brushing her fingers over her flat stomach for a moment before leaning over to pick up Beth's hairband from the table before it got coated in tomato sauce. Puck's attention went straight back to her breasts, and she decided to tease him a little this time, whilst Beth was in the bathroom. "See something you like, Puckerman?" she hummed, arching her brow at him before sitting back down again with a smug smile.

"What? No," Puck scoffed, shaking his head at her and taking a bite of his slice of garlic bread, before leaning towards her. "But, I think you forgot to put on your bra this morning, babe. Nips are on the rise," he smirked, nodding towards her breasts where he could clearly see the outline of her nipples pressing into the thin fabric of her dress.

"Mmm, I wonder what else I forgot to put on," she purred, licking her lips a little and winking at him, shifting her foot under the table, rubbing up against his calf teasingly whilst she sipped at her lemonade.

"Nice try, Fabray. You could never sit still when you left your panties off for me. I'd have noticed you squirming about by now, as would half the restaurant," he replied, the blonde licking her lips again, clearly flirting with him. And if he was being honest, they'd been flirting with each other for most of the day, and it felt natural to flirt back with her. He had missed the bubbly blonde's company more than he had thought, and he knew she had missed him too, judging by the way she had 'accidentally' brushed her fingers against his when they walked together through the mall.

Before she could respond, Beth was running back towards them, the little blonde firecracker diving onto her seat and giggling wildly, grabbing both her parent's hands and tugging. "Daddy, Quinnie, we gots to hit the road," Beth hissed frantically, looking around quickly before leaning in again, "I put squirty soap down this grumpy's skirt and ran for the hills. We gotta run real sneaky like before she catches me!"

Neither Quinn nor Puck could stop the laughter that time, Quinn collapsing against the table whilst Puck threw his head back and roared with laughter, the little girl yanking their hands again as she spotted the woman leaving the bathroom. Served her right for stealing the hand dryer from her.

"Move it, move it, move it," Beth urged, grabbing Quinn's purse and leaping from her seat, yanking at her mother who was laughing so hard she was in tears, Puck clutching his stomach as he got up from the table, Quinn tossing a few bills onto the table before they headed for the exit in fits of laughter. Quinn was hysterical with laughter, to the point where Puck physically had to hold her up as they headed back to her car, Beth running ahead of them. She wasn't getting caught by that woman, not if she had her way. "Hurry up!"

"She's...just...like...you!" Quinn sputtered out as she laughed, fishing her keys out to unlock the car, Beth diving into the backseat and slamming the door shut behind her. "Might look like me, but she is pure Puckerman," she snorted, nodding her head at their daughter who had her new pink coat draped over her head.

"She's perfect. She's our perfect thing."

* * *

><p>"Bed time, Bethie," Quinn called, grinning as she bounded down the stairs. She had managed to convince Puck to stay for coffee and now he and Beth were sat in her living room playing go fish, whilst she had started setting up Beth's room. Puck had offered to help, but she wanted to do it herself. She'd never gotten to set up a nursery for Beth when she was pregnant, and she was making up for that now.<p>

"Quinnie! I won three times!" Beth told her excitedly as the older blonde came into the room, waving her handful of cards in the air whilst Puck scowled in confusion.

"Well, well, well, Puckerman. Your daughter is catching up to you," Quinn teased, taking the card box from the table and collecting the playing cards, stacking them into the box whilst Beth finished drinking her hot chocolate at the coffee table. The day had been perfect in her mind, and she couldn't remember ever being this happy before.

"She's just like you, a little sneak," Puck joked back, winking at her. He'd let Beth win the first two times, but that last round, she had knocked his socks off. She was a ball of surprises, just like her mother.

"You and Quinnie should have another baby and then if its a boy, we can play in teams," Beth shrugged, grinning from behind her mug at Puck. She would love a little brother or sister; her friends at her school all had siblings and she loved babies. If they had another baby, she would be able to play with it all the time.

"Well maybe if Quinn and I were still together we'd give that a second thought, monkey face," Puck smiled, ruffling her hair and putting the lid on the cards box, getting up to put the box back in the gaming cupboard.

"You're not together?" Beth frowned, looking up at him in confusion.

"No baby, not anymore," Puck answered, glancing to Quinn who sighed and sat down heavily at the coffee table on one of the purple cushions Beth had put there, then back to Beth who was looking between them in confusion.

"So you and Daddy don't love each other no more?" Beth asked, looking up at Quinn who sighed heavily and dropped her head a little, toying with the hem of her dress to avoid eye contact with both her daughter and the man that came and sat across from her, his shoulders hunched.

Quinn had no idea how to answer that question honestly, not without confusing herself further about where her feelings lay, and especially not where Puck was listening. He had made it more than clear to her last night that there was absolutely nothing left between them anymore, and she'd be damned if she was going to embarrass herself in front of him. Especially not after the way she had been flirting with him today, when looking at him now, she knew he didn't want to be with her.

"No," Quinn answered, "we don't."

"But that doesn't mean we love you any less, monkey face. We both love you, so much and that's not going to change. Not for anything," Puck promised, reaching across the table for his little girl's hand, squeezing her small fingers gently. He didn't want to hurt Beth's feelings, and he definitely didn't want any of the problems he and Quinn had to upset her or make her feel like she wasn't loved.

Beth stared at him for a long moment before she pulled her hand away from him. "I hate you!" she cried, slapping Quinn's hands away and glaring at her as she tried to reach for her and comfort her.

"Beth-" Quinn croaked, tears filling her eyes.

"No! I hate you! You're a liar! You promised me that I was gonna be happy with you and you were gonna look after me like a real family! You're a big fat liar and I hate you! I wish you never had me!" Beth yelled at her before climbing down from her seat at the table and running out of the living room, her feet pounding against the stairs as she ran up them to get to her bedroom.

Quinn sat frozen in her seat for a long moment before she let her head fall into her hands, closing her eyes tight and letting the tears fall down her cheeks. She knew it wasn't going to be easy having her daughter back and trying to form a bond with her, but no one had told her it was going to be this hard, either. Beth hated her, Puck hated her, and she had no ideas left on how she could make any of this better.

Maybe everyone was right, after all.

Maybe she was never fit to be a mother.

"I'll uh, I'll go speak to Beth," Puck sighed after a moment of silence, glancing at the blonde who simply nodded and didn't bother to lift her face from her hands. He knew she was probably more than a little upset over what Beth had yelled at her, after her efforts to bond with their daughter today, but Beth was his priority. Beth was the one he was here for, not Quinn, and he would rather die than hurt their baby because of the fact that he and Quinn were no longer together.

Part of him wanted to hate Quinn even more for leaving him, now that they couldn't be the proper family that Beth clearly thought they were going to be. He found it hard to even contemplate the idea of being with Quinn again after how badly she had hurt him, and he knew he just couldn't give Beth what she wanted.

She had broken him too much this time.

He couldn't love her again.

A little light flirting and joking didn't change anything, no matter how much they wanted it to.

Puck sighed as he headed up the stairs to Beth's room, tapping his knuckles lightly against the half open door, peering into it. Quinn had done a great job fixing up Beth's bed, pink pillows and princess blankets arranged perfectly on the huge bed, a soft pink canopy hanging over the top of it, and he could see the cans of paint in the closet that would be used to decorate the bedroom properly. He knew Beth would love it once it was done, as he had caught Quinn countless times as she studied pictures of nurseries and bedrooms for their daughter when she was still pregnant, even though she insisted they couldn't keep her.

No matter what happened between him and the blonde, Quinn was a good mother.

A great mother.

"Hey," he offered as he spotted his daughter sat in the corner of the room, a pink blanket draped over her knees that were hugged to her chest, and her eyes staring angrily at him. "I guess you're pretty angry with me and your Momma, huh?" he asked, picking up the teddy bear that he had seen her carrying around all day with her, heading over to Beth and crouching before her.

"She's not my Mom," Beth snapped, staring at him for a long moment before eyeing the bear in his hands, holding out her own hand to take the teddy. "I hate her and I hate this house and I hate this room and I hate this stupid city and I hate everything," she ranted, holding the teddy bear tight to her chest.

"I know you're upset that Quinn and I aren't together anymore, and I am so sorry if that has hurt you. I know its a big change, moving in with Quinn and living in this house with her after losing your Mom and leaving the apartment, but I don't think you hate it. And I don't think you hate Quinn, either. I think you're scared, I think you miss your Mom, and I think you're confused with all the changes, but I don't think you hate me or Quinn. Not deep down in that cute little body of yours," he murmured with a smile, sitting down in front of Beth and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You're right," she admitted, her shoulders slumping a little. "I miss my Mommy," she sniffed, hugging the bear tighter to her.

"I know you do, baby, I know. Its hard to lose your Mom, and I know you love her very much, but its ok to like Quinn. Its ok to like spending time with Quinn, and I know you don't see it, but she is your mother and I know she loves you more than anything in the world. Whether we're in love, or not. She loves you and I love you. And this house, its not so bad, right? I mean, look at this room, kiddo! You're living the high life! You've got your own TV, and all these new toys, and I know for a fact that Quinn has a pool outside and a Jacuzzi bathtub that we can hijack sometime," he winked, Beth letting out a small giggle.

"I like my room," she muttered with a grin, hugging her teddy close and looking around the bedroom. It wasn't finished yet, but she loved it already. Especially the way Quinn had made her bed with the canopy and all the cushions. It was like a real princess bed.

"Oh, you like your room, huh? That's it?" he asked, tickling her ribs until she squealed, kicking her legs out at him and throwing her head back laughing. He loved her laugh; it was just like Quinn's, a loud 'hehehe' instead of the usual 'hahaha' sound.

"Why don't you love Quinn no more? You were happy with her today, and she was real smiley with you, too," Beth frowned, his hands stilling on her ribs, Puck biting at his lip for a moment before he sat back and sighed, resting his weight on his hands behind him.

"Its a long story, Beth. But the important thing is that your mother and I, we love you very much, whether we are together or not. And I promise you, that you will be safe and loved and happy with us. Please, just give Quinn a chance. I know you'll like her if you let yourself," he smiled, stroking her cheek lightly with his thumb. Beth and his relationship had hit it off right from the start, and he did feel sorry for Quinn who was struggling to get the little girl's approval.

"I guess Quinn's not so bad," Beth sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "I should say sorry for being mean to her, shouldn't I?" she asked, peering up at him through her lashes, running her thumb back and forth over her teddy bear's paw.

"Only if you mean it, monkey face," he shrugged, "otherwise there's no point."

Beth frowned at that, staring at her blanket covered knees for a long moment. Quinn had been trying hard to be good with her, she knew that, and she knew that she didn't actually hate Quinn. She liked her, liked the way she smelt of cookies and vanilla, liked the way she was always trying to make her smile. A large part of her felt real guilty for being mean to her and she didn't really want Quinn to be mad at her. Not for real. "I don't know," she answered finally, yawning a little.

"How about we get you ready for bed then, huh?" he suggested, eyeing the time on the princess clock beside Beth's bed. It was getting fairly late for the six year old, and it had been a long day, for all of them.

Beth nodded her head and let him pull her up from the floor, setting her blanket and her teddy bear down on the bed before leaving the room and heading into the bathroom across the hall where her new toothbrush and toothpaste were, Puck following behind. Her bathroom was even bigger than the one in Quinn's room, and she guessed Quinn had given it to her to try to gain some sort of approval from her.

"Why can't you stay here, too, Daddy? Quinn has an empty bedroom that you could sleep in," Beth grinned around her toothbrush, waving her hand towards the doorway. Maybe if Daddy stayed here too, they could still be a family, even if he and Quinn didn't kiss and cuddle each other. "You could have Quinn's hot chocolate all the time then!" she added excitedly, remembering how he had said he liked Quinn's hot chocolate when they came home from the mall.

"Well, Daddy has his own house that he lives in, monkey face," Puck smiled, holding her hair back as she brushed at her teeth and then spat into the sink, helping her to reach the mouthwash from the shelf. There were bottles of Quinn's things on the shelves also, his jaw clenching just a little as he recognised her shampoo bottles as being the same from when they had still been together, and the vanilla body lotion that he could remember her always asking him to massage into her skin when she was stressed out.

"Did you stop loving Quinn cause of me?" Beth asked after a moment, looking up at him as he poured mouthwash into the cap and handed it to her.

"No! No, of course not. If anything, I loved her more after you were born. Sometimes things just don't work out, and its not your fault at all," he promised, kissing the top of her hair as she swilled the mouthwash around her mouth, laughing as she bulged her cheeks with it and rolled her eyes, pulling a face at him before spitting out into the sink and washing it away.

"Bed time, now?" she grumbled, her shoulders slumping as Puck nodded, holding her arms out for him to lift her up and carry her back to her bedroom. She could hear Quinn opening and closing drawers in her own bedroom, and part of her wanted to go and say sorry for yelling at her, but she also didn't want to chance the blonde being angry with her if she was to approach her.

"I was thinking tomorrow, maybe we could go down to the park for a bit. If its ok with Quinn, obviously. They have ducks and stuff, and maybe if you're nice, you can have some ice cream," he grinned as he set her down on the bed, the little blonde flashing a grin back at him before stuffing her legs under the blankets and tugging it up to her chin, giggling as he tucked her teddy bear in beside her.

"Can I have strawberry? Strawberry is the bestest," Beth told him happily, hugging her teddy bear tight.

"You can have whichever flavour you want, monkey face," Puck promised, kissing her forehead lightly and turning on the pink lamp that Quinn had picked out, Beth giggling and kissing his cheek.

"Do you think Quinn is still mad at me?" Beth whispered quietly, biting on her lip and glancing around in case Quinn was somewhere listening to them. "Can she come to the park tomorrow, too? I think she'd like that," she yawned, stretching and turning onto her side, looking up at her Dad who smiled a little.

"I don't think Quinn was ever mad at you, sweetheart. If you want her to come, I'm sure she would love to. Maybe you should ask her yourself to come with us," he suggested, moving pieces of hair out of her face and tucking them behind her ear. "I'll see you in the morning, Beth. I love you," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her forehead again before getting up from her bed.

"I love you too, Daddy," Beth smiled, Puck's heart melting as he smiled down at her before leaving her bedroom and heading down the hall towards the stairs, pausing when he heard movement in Quinn's bedroom. He was just going to let her know that he was going to be picking Beth up tomorrow, so he didn't have to face Scary Quinn tomorrow if he took their daughter without permission.

He opened the door a little and peered into Quinn's room to tell her what he was planning tomorrow, freezing when he saw she was only in a baggy t-shirt, not quite able to stop himself from staring at her ass as she bent over and rifled through her drawers, exposing her ass clad in a lacy black thong as she looked for something. Probably the other half of her pyjamas. He had always loved her ass, even though she had been pretty insecure over it in high school. It was round and firm and perfectly toned, and God, he shouldn't be looking at his ex girlfriend's ass.

"Uh, Quinn?" He asked, knocking on the door and diverting his eyes to her wall instead of her incredibly distracting ass, smiling a little as he recognised pictures from their glee days lining a shelf on the wall, and dotted on units around the room as well.

"Jesus Christ, you scared the crap out of me," Quinn breathed, whipping around and pressing her hand to her chest, brushing pieces of her hair from her face with her free hand and offering him a small smile that he didn't return. "What did you want?" she asked, crossing her arms and arching her eyebrow at him, watching the way his eyes travelled around her room, but never once stopped to look at her for longer than a second here or there. He used to look at her all the time, and it made her stomach churn at the thought of him not even being able to look at her now.

"I'm going to take Beth out to a park tomorrow, let her feed the ducks, get her some ice cream. I just figured I should tell you rather than picking her up out of the blue," he shrugged, stepping into her room, picking up a picture from her dressing table and pursing his lips a little to see it was a picture of he and Quinn from her prom at Yale. The same picture they had had on a canvas in the apartment before he'd broken it. "Why do you still have this?" he asked, waving it around a little to attract Quinn's attention.

"I'm sure she'll love that," Quinn answered, crossing the room and snatching the picture back from him, setting it back down in its place on her dresser, rubbing her thumb over their smiling faces before looking up at him and narrowing her eyes. He had no right to come into her bedroom asking why she had things in her room. "What does it matter to you? Its not doing you any harm with me having it," she replied, leaning her weight against the dresser.

"You didn't bother to stay, yet you still keep pictures of us in your room? I don't get you, Quinn," he frowned, studying those piercing hazel eyes of hers and not being able to read anything there at all. She was completely closed off from him, and he figured maybe that was a good thing. There would be no talking of feelings, not if she was acting like she didn't have any.

"And I don't get _you_. You told me yesterday that you didn't want to be near me, you told me that you felt nothing for me, yet you've been joking around with me all day at the mall. You tell me that you don't want anything to do with me if its not about Beth, yet she's in bed and you're here, in my room, quizzing me about things that are none of your business. You didn't want anything left of us, and I completely understand that, but if I want this picture, then that's my business, not yours," she snapped back, moving away from him to close her curtains.

"I wasn't the one that left, Quinn. Do you have any idea what it felt like when you just walked out on us, after telling me you'd been fucking someone else? Were you the one that sat there waiting for hours for you to turn around and come back home? No, that was me. Were you the one that stuck in an apartment full of our things, in a town you'd only moved to, to be with the person you loved? Nope, that was me, too. You got to pack up and leave without a care in the world, and I was a fucking wreck! You didn't give two shits about me or about us, so excuse me for thinking its strange that you kept pictures that meant nothing to you," he argued back, closing the door so that Beth wouldn't wake up and hear them.

He didn't want Beth to have the same childhood that he had, waking up to hear her parents screaming back and forth at each other over some home wrecker that had ruined everything good that they had. That was no childhood, and Beth deserved better than that.

"You have no idea what I went through! No, maybe I wasn't the one sitting there waiting for you, but I was the idiot that called you three times a day, every single day for four months! I sent text messages, and voicemails, and letters, begging you to hear me out and let me explain and not once did you ever reply! I was the stupid girl that sat outside our apartment for seven hours, hammering on the door and pleading with you to talk to me, only to find out from your neighbour that you weren't there anymore! I did a lot of awful things, but don't you dare say that I never tried to fix it, or that my life was carefree, because I suffered too!" she shouted at him, tears burning in her eyes.

She wasn't stupid, she knew that Puck had suffered, but so had she.

Puck had no idea what she had been through.

And if she had it her way, he never would.

"Oh, well I'm sorry your perfect little Yale boyfriend wasn't as perfect as you thought he was, but that's not my problem. He was sleeping with you when you were someone else's girlfriend, Quinn. He was never exactly perfect, was he? Nobody forced you to cheat, nobody forced you to leave, nobody forced you to ruin what we had, so I'm sorry but that was all on you! I loved you, but in the end you threw all that back in my face. I know that my job was hard on both of us, but you knew what you were getting into when we got back together at that glee reunion. Do you even remember that?" he scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Of course I remember that," she hissed, her eyes burning angrily. "How could I forget that night after the things we said, and the things we did? I loved that night, you know I did. I might have made some awful choices and done some horrible things, but don't you dare imply that I would ever forget _anything_ about us," she croaked, her voice breaking slightly.

"Didn't mean enough for you to stay," he muttered.

"Didn't mean enough for you to stop loving me," she replied like a shot.

Puck was quiet for a long moment after that, simply staring at her whilst she stared back at him, her chest heaving from yelling at him. He definitely wasn't in love with her anymore, or so he kept on telling himself. There was no way on earth he would ever let himself fall for her again, not after what she had done. 'Sorry' wouldn't ever be enough to heal the damage that had been caused between them.

"I'll pick Beth up tomorrow at ten," he answered, finally speaking up and breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen over them after her last comment.

"Fine," she nodded, licking her lips and moving over to the door, leaving her bedroom and heading down the stairs to unlock and open the front door for him. She knew she'd got to him with the comment about him not having stopped loving her, and she knew that deep down it was true. No matter how much he hated her for what she'd done, she knew he still loved her, or he wouldn't be so pissed off with her.

Or maybe that was just blind hope.

Puck followed her down the stairs and picked up his jacket from where he had left it on the coat rack, shoving his arms into the sleeves and pulling it on whilst Quinn stood by the front door, still only wearing her panties and a shirt. He didn't quite know what to say to her, or if he should say something to her. They didn't really seem to be able to say anything nice to each other if Beth wasn't around.

"Can I ask you something?" Quinn asked, looking to him and arching her brow a little, shifting her weight against the door as she watched him gather his wallet and his cark keys from the side table.

"I guess so," Puck shrugged, stuffing his keys in his pocket. He didn't really know what to expect as a question from him, and he most likely wouldn't know the answer if it was about them, anyway.

"You never answered my phone calls, or my texts, or the letters that I sent to you when you were overseas. Why? Did you ever get them?" she asked, licking her lips nervously as he simply stared at her, before sighing and heading for the door.

"Yes," he answered, pausing when he was outside, the cold air refreshing to his overheated skin. "I got your calls and I heard your voicemails. I read your texts and I read your letters. But it didn't change anything. Band aids don't fix bullet holes, you know? I didn't want your apologies."

Quinn sucked her teeth and bit her lip, nodding her head and taking hold of the door handle, scuffing her toes against the wooden flooring before she looked up and met his eyes. "Well, if you read my letters, you should know that I meant every word I wrote in them," she told him, studying his eyes carefully, knowing he would know exactly which part of her letters she was referring to, if he had read them.

"Goodnight, Quinn," Puck sighed, turning away from her and heading to his car, hearing her front door close behind him. He pulled out his car keys and climbed into his car, starting the engine and pulling away from his ex lover's house, reaching over into the glove box as he drove, pulling out a crisp pink envelope, running his thumb over the front of it and parking his car outside some random person's house, cutting the engine.

He'd lied when he told her he had read her letters. He had received every one of her letters whilst he was in Afghanistan, but he had never opened them, not wanting to read empty apologies and descriptions of how much better her life was now she had left. But, after her parting words, he wanted to know what she meant, what she had written to him.

Puck ripped open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper, unfolding it and sighing to see her handwriting scrawled across the page, parts of the letter blurred by what he figured were tears. Most of the letter was her talking about how she missed him, how she hoped he was safe and keeping out of trouble. The letter sounded so much like the Quinn he had loved so much, with clever little puns and jokes here and there to break up the paragraphs of pleading she had written, begging him to talk to her.

Maybe she had suffered too, after all.

He figured the last part of the letter was the part she was talking about earlier, Puck sighing as he ran his thumb over the words.

_"I love you. Only you. Its only ever been you. I pray one day you'll understand why I had to do what I did, but until then, I'll keep you in my heart, and I hope there'll still be a place in yours for me. Yours always, Quinn."_

Puck read the words one more time before sighing, then ripping the letter in half.

Quinn didn't know the meaning of love.

* * *

><p>Quinn closed her eyes tight and slid down her front door till she hit the floor, hugging her knees tight to her chest and letting tears fall down her cheeks. The letters she had sent to Puck were the most she could do to try to get through to him after their break up, and she had always held onto the hope that he had read them and that her words had been enough to show him that she hadn't stopped loving him. But instead, he thought nothing of her attempts to reach out to him.<p>

She knew she wasn't in the right to be angry at him for ignoring her, but it hurt. It hurt so much that she thought her heart was actually splintering in her chest as she sat there crying by the front door. But, wasn't that what Puck had done when she had left him? She had broken his heart, and she was foolish to think a day out as a family would be enough to repair the damage she'd done.

And then there was Beth, her perfect thing. She had hurt her too. By leaving Puck, she'd ruined any chance of them ever being a family, and she'd ruined her baby's wishes of them being so. Her little girl hated her for that, just like her father. The only difference was that she still had a chance to be what Beth deserved, to make her happy and to be a good mother. Puck however, had completely shut her out, and she would forever be the woman that cheated, left, and broke his heart.

Maybe it was karma that she wouldn't get to make it right.

Now she had to suffer, just like he had.

"Quinn?" Beth asked, from the top of the stairs with her teddy bear in hand.

"Hey," Quinn sniffed, wiping her cheeks and getting up quickly, locking and bolting the door before forcing a smile on her face. "Bad dreams again?" she asked, climbing the stairs to her little girl who was chewing on her lower lip, her hazel eyes watching every step she made.

"No. I just wanted to say sorry, for shouting at you and being mean to you," Beth shrugged, scrunching her nose up and yawning as Quinn reached her and crouched before her. "I don't hate you," she added with a small smile as Quinn's hands cradled her hips from her position in front of her. Quinn's eyes looked red and sore, and she hoped she hadn't been the one to make her cry.

"Its ok, sweetheart, I'm not mad at you, You lost your Mommy, and you have every right to be upset and angry because of that. I know in your eyes I'm not your mother, but I'd really like for us to be friends. If you want to try that, I'd be more than happy to be your friend," Quinn murmured, taking Beth's small hand in hers, glad that she hadn't flinched like she had earlier when she'd tried to hold her hand at the mall. It hurt like a bitch that Beth didn't feel the bond between them like she did, but Shelby had been Beth's mother for six years whilst she had been an absent party in her daughter's life and she needed to start accepting that it was going to take more than a day for Beth to call her Mommy and for them to be joined at the hip.

She would wait forever, if that's what it took.

Beth was silent for a moment or two, moving her lips from side to side as she thought about Quinn's words. She wanted to be her friend, and she didn't see any reason why she and Quinn couldn't be friends. It wouldn't be forgetting about her Mommy, to be friends with Quinn, just like Daddy said. She was allowed to like Quinn if she wanted to. "I'd like being your friend, too," she smiled finally, squeezing Quinn's hand in her own, watching the smile spread across her birth mother's face before pulling away and running back down the hall to her bedroom.

Quinn smiled happily as she watched her daughter go, the little blonde disappearing into her bedroom. Beth was willing to try, and that's all she could have wished for. They were taking the first step in the right direction, and she was so glad of that.

The blonde got up from her position on the floor and stretched her arms up over her head before heading to her own bedroom, leaving the door wide open in case Beth woke up in the middle of the night and came looking for her again, climbing into bed. She sighed as she pulled her blankets up over her, sinking down against the pillows and rolling onto her side, pulling a framed picture out from beneath the pillow next to her and brushing her thumb over it.

She still couldn't remember Santana ever taking a picture of she and Puck the night they got back together, but she had, and she treasured it. Santana had given it to her a month or two after she had left Puck, during the start of her downward spiral, and she was more than glad she had. They both looked so blissfully happy together, wrapped up in each other's arms, and she promised herself she was going to get that back.

No matter what.

"I love you. We'll be together again, I promise," Quinn whispered, pressing her thumb to Puck's face in the picture, before slipping the photo back under the pillow beside hers and closing her eyes, letting sleep close over her.

* * *

><p><em>Band aids don't fix bullet holes,<em>

_you say sorry just for show._

_If you love like that,_

_blood runs bad._

_..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>There we have it. A little progression between Quinn and Beth's relationship, and a little insight into both Quinn and Puck's view on their relationship. Its one step forward, and three steps backwards when trying to forgive to someone. But hopefully y'all see that Quinn does have a heart, and I promise next chapter we'll see some moving forward there, too. :)<strong>_

_**Lyrics used: Taylor Swift- Bad Blood. **_

_**Can we just talk about how good Friday's episode of glee was?! The first one was absolute garbage in my opinion, but the second was so good! Quinn was so sassy and hilarious taking back the muffins, and Puck was on point as always. I love the little background moments we had between them, but this week's will be so much better! The Quick hug, Quinn and Puck singing lead, Puck holding Quinn's hand whilst singing to her, and lets not forget the Quinntina duet. So excited. **_


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